A high-profile Lorain County case is heading to a jury this week, as 24-year-old Elyria resident Isaiah Makuch prepares to stand trial in the fatal shooting of motorcyclist Trey Anthony Sukey on Oct. 24, 2023, in Elyria Township. Deputies say several riders were fired on that night before Sukey, 30, of Lorain, was killed, and the string of roadside attacks has left the local riding community on edge.
What prosecutors say
Prosecutors say a Lorain County grand jury indicted Makuch on a long list of felony charges, including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, attempted murder and aggravated menacing. The indictment also carries firearm specifications and alleged drive-by shooting counts. His jury trial is scheduled to begin this week, according to Cleveland 19.
Timeline of the attacks
According to deputies, the violence unfolded over the course of about an hour. The first shots were reported around 5:19 p.m., when gunfire erupted at a group of riders near North Leavitt Road and Cooper Foster Park Road in Amherst. Roughly 40 minutes later, another motorcycle was struck near North Leavitt Road and State Route 2.
By about 6:15 p.m., deputies say Sukey was shot while riding on Lake Avenue near Emerson Court in Elyria Township. He was taken to UH Elyria Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Family remembers Sukey
Sukey's family told News 5 Cleveland they were devastated by his sudden death and remembered him as a generous rider who gave back to the community. "No reason, no excuses, no nothing," his cousin Adam Sukey said, describing the family's struggle to make sense of the shooting.
Defense and court orders
Makuch pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in January 2024. Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Melissa Kobasher ordered him to receive treatment at Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare as part of proceedings to determine his competency to stand trial, according to Cleveland 19. The court will have to resolve competency and other pretrial issues before jurors can hear testimony.
What to expect at trial
At trial, prosecutors are expected to lean on deputies' accounts along with surveillance and video evidence, while defense attorneys focus heavily on Makuch's mental-health evaluation and the insanity plea. If the jury convicts him on the most serious counts, he could be looking at decades in prison under Ohio law. The exact sentence would depend on how the jury rules and how the court applies state sentencing guidelines.
