By April Rodgers | FreeWire Your News Your Voice
ASHLAND — A $2 million bond was set Thursday for 24-year-old Robert Palermo during a bond hearing in Ashland County Court of Common Pleas, following a fatal shooting on New Year’s Day that left a 61-year-old man dead.
Palermo is charged with aggravated murder, an unclassified felony* under Ohio law, alleging he purposely and with prior calculation and design caused the death of John “Lefty” Grehn on January 1, 2026.
During the video hearing, Magistrate Emily Bates advised Palermo of the charge and his constitutional rights. Palermo requested court-appointed counsel and qualified, with Attorney Donald Wick appointed to represent him.
According to Ashland County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher R. Tunnell, Ashland Police Division officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 2:15 p.m. from Palermo’s father, who reported that his son had shot Grehn.
Prosecutors said the two men argued over Grehn’s dog being inside the home. The argument was described as verbal. Palermo allegedly retrieved a handgun from a locked box in an upstairs bedroom, loaded the weapon, returned downstairs, and resumed the argument.
Grehn was seated on a couch when Palermo allegedly shot him multiple times, resulting in his death. Palermo was taken into custody at the scene without incident and remains held at the Ashland County Jail. He has no known prior criminal history.
The court ordered a $2 million cash/surety bond. If released, Palermo would be placed on GPS monitoring and subject to a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Additional conditions include drug and alcohol restrictions, no access to firearms, and no contact with his father, who witnessed the incident.
The Ashland County Coroner ordered Grehn’s body sent to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, which is standard procedure in homicide investigations. Results are pending.
“This case represents a profound and tragic loss of life,” Prosecuting Attorney Tunnell said in a statement. “Our thoughts remain with Mr. Grehn’s family and loved ones as they begin to process this unimaginable loss.” He also praised the response of local and state law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation
This case remains under investigation.
Palermo is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, January 6 in Ashland.
Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. FreeWire will continue to follow this case as it progresses.
*Author’s note: Aggravated murder is charged as an unclassified felony in Ohio, placing it outside the state’s standard felony degree system. Because of its severity, potential penalties can include life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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