News

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Monday, November 24, 2025

Resident of Zanesville Care Center Admits Raping Disabled Victim

Keith Larrick, 47, of Zanesville, appeared in the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas to admit his guilt in raping a disabled woman. At the time of the crime Larrick and his victim were both residents of a Zanesville care facility.

Larrick admitted guilt to all charges in his indictment, including Kidnapping and four (4) counts of Rape, all felonies of the first degree. Larrick is facing a maximum prison sentence of thirty-three (33) years.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

Details of the Case:

On July 8, 2025, deputies from the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a Zanesville care center in reference to a disabled resident that had been sexually assaulted.

Shortly after arriving deputies learned that an employee of the care center walked into the victim’s room and witnessed Keith Larrick sexually assaulting the resident. The employee immediately separated the two and observed the victim fully nude, crying, and holding her chest.

During interviews with detectives Larrick admitted to going into the victim’s room, moving her from her wheelchair into her bed, pulling the privacy curtain, removing the victim’s clothing and sexually assaulting her.

Larrick also admitted that the victim “kinda yelled” at him to stop “once or twice”.

Larrick underwent a psychiatric competency examination that determined that he is competent and does not suffer from a mental deficit.

“This is an outrageous situation involving a violation against a helpless, disabled victim. Justice demands serious consequences.” according to Assistant Prosecutor John Litle, who handled the case. “The prosecutor’s office will be arguing to the judge to deliver the maximum punishment that the law allows.”



How the Charges Relate to Sentencing:

Larrick was charged with four counts of Rape, and one count of Kidnapping. Rape in Ohio is generally punishable by three to eleven years of prison. Kidnapping carries the same sentence.

Knowing that sentencing range, it can be confusing why Larrick only faces a maximum of thirty-three (33) years of prison at sentencing. The answer to that confusion is called “merger.”

Oftentimes when a person commits a criminal act, the act violates Ohio law in multiple ways. While a person cannot be punished multiple times for the same criminal act, they can be charged with each and every way that they violate the law.

The prosecutor’s office files charges on all violations of the law. This prevents the offender from going to trial and avoiding punishment by admitting to breaking the law in a way he was not charged.

At sentencing, the Judge decides which counts merge and the prosecutor’s office chooses which of the merged charges are used for sentencing.

In Larrick’s case, he committed two acts of rape. Those acts of rape were committed in two different ways. The first by using force, and the second because his victim’s ability to consent was impaired by reason of her physical condition and age.

Therefore, even though Larrick pled guilty to all four counts of rape, at sentencing he can only be sentenced for a total of two counts of rape, reflecting the two acts he committed.

The count of Kidnapping can sometimes merge with the crime of Rape. In this case, and in relation to the acts Larrick took leading up to the rape offenses, our office will argue that the Kidnapping charge is a separate conviction.

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