March 21, 2013 at 3:07 p.m.
30-year prison sentence recommended in Sutliff Avenue stabbing case
Shannon Wolf, 38, was scheduled for a jury trial this week on several felony charges - including attempted first degree intentional homicide - but he entered guilty pleas to amended charges Thursday as part of a resolution to the case.
Wolf pleaded guilty to one count of mayhem (a charge that has a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison as opposed to the homicide charge that carried a maximum penalty of 60 years) and one count of aggravated battery. Other charges were dismissed but read-in.
Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Scott Moller said the state is recommending Wolf spend 30 years in the prison system (15 years of initial confinement and 15 years of extended supervision).
Judge Patrick O'Melia ordered a pre-sentence investigation after Wolf's guilty pleas were entered. Sentencing is tentatively set for May 24.
Wolf's attorney, public defender John Voorhees, briefly addressed the court Thursday to explain the amended mayhem charge, an offense that rarely comes up in court. Voorhees said the charge does have an "inflict great bodily harm" element that he believes is appropriate for the Wolf case.
He said he said if the case had gone to a jury trial, he was prepared to present evidence about the wounds suffered by the victim as part of an argument against the attempted homicide charge. Voorhees noted once Wolf introduced the knife, the details about how exactly he handled it are unclear. For example, some of the victim's wounds could have been defensive as a result of the struggle over the knife, Voorhees said.
The charges against Wolf go back to Feb. 1 of last year. According to the criminal complaint, Wolf told police he went to Ripco Credit Union that morning to meet with the woman to talk about their break-up and became upset when he saw her with another man. He claimed the woman gave him the middle finger and her companion raised his hands in the air while passing Wolf in the credit union parking lot.
The woman testified during an earlier court hearing that Wolf followed her car out of the credit union parking lot and intentionally struck her vehicle with his vehicle. After both vehicles were stopped, the woman claims Wolf came over to her vehicle and began stabbing her.
Wolf has been in custody on a $25,000 cash bond since the incident.
Wolf was also charged with stalking the same woman after she came to the Oneida County Sheriff's Department the night of June 23, 2012 reporting that she received approximately 17 calls from the Oneida County jail over a two-minute period. That case was dismissed outright Thursday.
Kyle Rogers may be reached at [email protected].
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