Trumbull County convicted murderer charged with murder in Lucasville prison
A Scioto County grand jury has issued a superseding indictment charging Southern Ohio Correctional Facility inmate and convicted Trumbull County murderer Austin Burke with aggravated murder with prior calculation and design specification as well as two counts of unclassified murder and one count felonious assault in the Aug. 12, 2023, beating death of fellow inmate Ruben Melendez at the Lucasville prison.
Burke is currently serving a life sentence for the 2017 killing of 22-year-old Brandon Sample in Bristolville.
Reports show that Burke, 25, was involved in a fight with Melendez, 65, of Arizona, who later was taken to a hospital where he died of head trauma.
Court records show that Burke will face trial for that slaying on July 22 in the courtroom of Judge Mark E. Kuhn at the Portsmouth courthouse.
A final pretrial is set for June 28.
Kuhn declared Burke indigent at a May 31 arraignment and appointed Aaron Triplett as his attorney.