Franklin County prosecutors have decided not to pursue murder charges against Brody Sieber, a man who claimed he shot two people in self-defense during an altercation at the Old Landmark Tavern in August 2022. This incident involved members of a motorcycle club and resulted in two fatalities and two other men being wounded.
Background
Sieber, 41, of Columbus, was initially charged with murder and felonious assault related to the shooting that occurred on August 1st, 2022, at the Old Landmark Tavern located at 176 Rumsey Road. The incident resulted in the deaths of Nicholas Dowler, 34, and Glen Clark III, 50, while two other men sustained injuries from gunfire.
Sieber’s Defense
During a bench trial that began on October 21st, 2022, before Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeff Brown, Sieber maintained that he had acted in self-defense during the shooting. Assistant Franklin County Prosecutors Jason Manning and Natalie Kahler initially opposed this claim. However, after reviewing the available evidence, they reached a plea deal with Sieber’s defense team.
Plea Deal and Sentencing
On October 22nd, 2022, Assistant Prosecutors Manning and Kahler agreed to drop the murder charges against Sieber in exchange for his guilty plea on two unrelated felony charges: a weapon under disability charge and an offense related to non-payment of child support. Judge Brown sentenced Sieber to three years of probation as part of this agreement. The dismissal of the murder charges also lifted any restrictions on Sieber’s movements, such as house arrest or GPS monitoring, which had been in place while the case was pending.
Prosecutors’ Reasoning
Manning explained to Judge Brown that the prosecution team made this decision because they no longer believed they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting was not an act of self-defense. In Ohio, the burden of proof in self-defense cases rests on the prosecution, meaning they must demonstrate that the defendant’s use of force was unjustified rather than the defense having to prove their claim of self-defense.
Incident Details
Video footage from the bar provided partial views of the confrontation between Sieber and Dowler in a fenced-in area outside the bar’s patio. The video showed Sieber pulling out his gun and firing shots at Dowler and two other men nearby, resulting in injuries to all three. Following this, Sieber ran to the front parking lot of the bar where he engaged in a shootout with Clark. During the exchange, both Sieber and Clark were hit by bullets; however, Clark succumbed to his injuries, while Sieber sustained a bullet wound in his neck.
Motorcycle Club Connection
According to Assistant Prosecutor Kahler, the deadly altercation at the bar stemmed from an earlier incident that occurred several nights before the shooting. During this previous event, multiple motorcycles belonging to members of the Avengers Motorcycle Club were damaged while parked outside the bar. Sieber was not involved in this initial incident.
Conclusion
In a surprising turn of events, prosecutors have decided against pursuing murder charges against Brody Sieber, who claimed he acted in self-defense during a violent encounter at the Old Landmark Tavern involving members of a motorcycle club. The decision to dismiss the charges came after reviewing evidence and video footage, which suggested that Sieber may have been justified in his use of force. While Sieber has admitted to having a weapon under disability and non-payment of child support, he was ultimately spared from facing murder charges for the deadly shooting.
