Accused Killer Of Strongsville Teacher Pleads No Contest

CLEVELAND — Jeffrey Scullin pleaded no contest to charges that accused him of killing Strongsville teacher Melinda Pleskovic. The plea is not an admission of guilt, and allows Scullin to avoid a jury trial, but Judge Pamela Barker found Scullin guilty of aggravated murder.

Scullin will be sentenced on October 29, WKYC reported. He could face up to 36 years in prison.

The decision to change his plea from not guilty to no contest came after Barker refused to throw out a confession from Scullin. The defense attorneys had argued the confession was coerced, but Barker ruled it admissible.

Pleskovic, a school teacher in the community, was found shot and stabbed in her home on October 23, 2017. Prosecutors revealed this week that she had been stabbed 36 or 37 times, and shot three times.

Scullin was set to marry one of Pleskovic's daughters on Oct. 28 and was living with the family prior to her death. He was out to dinner with the family when they returned home and found Pleskovic's body.

After a tense week of investigation, during which anxiety ran high in the city, Strongsville Police Chief Mark Fender announced that Scullin had been arrested on Halloween and was being charged with his future mother-in-law's death.

A large tactical knife was found in the back seat of a truck Scullin said he drove on the day of Pleskovic's death, WEWS reported. The knife had Pleskovic's blood on it and Scullin's DNA was on the handle, court records said.

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Photo from Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office