News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Lengthy Prison Sentence Upheld for Ian Hayes

Ian Hayes, of Zanesville, who is currently serving a twenty-one (21) year prison sentence, filed an appeal seeking to overturn his most recent convictions and sentence.

A Muskingum County jury found Hayes guilty earlier this year of one count of Kidnapping and one count of Strangulation, along with a Repeat Violent Offender Specification.

Hayes, 32, is currently serving his prison sentence at Noble Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison in Caldwell, Ohio.

Chris Brigdon, the attorney handling Hayes’s appeal argued the State failed to present enough evidence for the jury to convict Hayes of the kidnapping and strangulation charges and that the trial court made a mistake in imposing the maximum sentence for Kidnapping.

As part of the appeal the defendant argued that the victim denied at trial that she was ever kidnapped or strangled and explained that marks on her neck observed by law enforcement were the result of consensual activity. However, the Court of Appeals was unpersuaded by the defense’s argument and determined the State proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Appeals Court further determined the sentencing court correctly applied the law in imposing the twenty-one (21) year prison sentence.

“Our office is satisfied with the Court of Appeals decision to uphold the conviction and sentence in this case,” stated Prosecutor Ron Welch. “This result guarantees that our community, specifically women, will be protected from this violent individual for more than 20 years. Every time a violent, repeat offender is removed from a community, the community and its citizens benefit."

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