In Stark County Court of Common Pleas, Joshua Lee Shaffer, a 49-year-old man from Canton Township, has been handed down a 16 to 20 year prison sentence for the stabbing of his parents. According to Cleveland 19, Shaffer pled guilty to charges including two counts of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault during a hearing on Tuesday.
Details emerged that the violent altercation took place after Shaffer's father suggested it was time for him to move out of the home they shared. The Independent reported that during the dispute, Shaffer stabbed his father multiple times before attacking his mother when she intervened. Sadly, she too suffered a knife wound to her neck that was deemed life-threatening.
The incident, described as a domestic dispute that turned violent, left the 71-year-old parents severely injured on December 3, 2025, as per information provided by the Stark County Sheriff's Office to WHBC. Both victims were treated for their injuries at Aultman Hospital and have since survived the attack.
During the attack, efforts to call for assistance were thwarted as Shaffer threw the phone, preventing his father from reaching dispatchers. However, in an act of sheer desperation and will for survival, Shaffer's mother managed to escape and sought aid from neighbors, who then summoned emergency services. Following an investigation conducted by the Stark County Sheriff's Office, Shaffer was apprehended and charged. Since being convicted, Shaffer is also required to register as a violent offender.
Throughout the case proceedings, Shaffer was represented by public defender Steven Reisch, who, following the sentencing, reached out for comment by The Independent. While attorneys from the Stark County Public Defender's Office usually withhold from speaking about clients' cases outside of court, the opportunity for Reisch to provide a public statement was still given.
