Leaf Thursday, April 7, 2022 Vol. 28 No. 14 • Chardon, Ohio www.geaugamapleleaf.com $1.00
Mother of ‘Geauga’s Child’ Convicted of Murder By Amy Patterson
after community members raised money to give him a proper burial and gravestone in Thompson’s MaGail M. Ritchey, who stood ac- ple Grove Cemetery. cused of the 1993 abanBlood and tissue samdonment of her newborn ples from the infant providchild in the woods in ed a DNA sample, which Thompson Township, has led Geauga County Sherbeen convicted of murder. iff’s Office detectives to A jury in Geauga Counthe doorstep of Ritchey’s ty Court of Common Pleas Euclid home. Judge David Ondrey’s courtGeauga County Proseroom acquitted Ritchey, 51, Ritchey cutor Jim Flaiz convened a of aggravated murder April 4, but special grand jury in June 2019, which held her accountable in the death issued an indictment against Ritchey of her baby, found by two newspaper for aggravated murder and murder. delivery women in a wooded area on She was arrested shortly thereafter Sidley Road. in Cuyahoga County, found lying in At the time, the unknown new- the back seat of her husband’s car, born was dubbed “Geauga’s Child,” according to authorities. amy@karlovecmedia.com
FILE PHOTO
A gravestone in Thompson’s Maple Grove Cemetery marks the burial site of Geauga’s Child, abandoned in woods near Sidley Road in 1993.
She later admitted to birthing the baby, placing him in a trash bag and discarding him, Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand said at the time. Ritchey later married the father of Geauga’s Child and has three adult children. Flaiz said the aggravated murder charge was presented to the jury based on evidence of premeditation — as Ritchey also admitted to committing a similar crime two years earlier in Cuyahoga County — however, the judge excluded that evidence from trial. Even with the exclusion of that evidence, Flaiz felt the jury came to a just verdict. See Guilty • Page 7
Equine Massage Therapy Can Heal Body, Mind By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com
Communicating with horses and dogs is usually a matter of touch for Debby Melvin. A certified equine massage therapist, Melvin gets calls for help from horse owners and trainers throughout the year. Some of her equine patients are lame, some seem ill, some have behavior problems. When visits from veterinarians, injections, salves and food supplements have failed, her phone rings and Melvin hits the road. But, as she opens the stall door, she prefers to start her process with minimal information. “I don’t want to be told what’s wrong. I just spend 15 minutes with them,” she said during a meeting of the Western Reserve Mule and Donkey Club March 31. “I just get out in the barn and start poking. That’s why I get bitten so much.” Watching the patient’s body language — the way they stand, how See Massage • Page 6
VALERIE S. CLAUSE/KMG
A glimpse of the “Eggshelland” spring scene inside the barn at Eddy’s Fruit Farm in Chester Township.
‘Eggshelland’ Lives On at Eddy’s By Valerie S. Clause editor@karlovecmedia.com
A true harbinger of spring is hatching at Eddy’s Fruit Farm this year with “Eggshelland” on display to delight both young and old. “Eggshelland” has been attracting visitors for 63 years, when it was first created in 1957 by Ron and Betty Manolio, of Lyndhurst.
When creator Ron Manolio died in 2012, his family shared “Eggshelland” with the community one last time in 2013 and it was then put in the care of The Euclid Beach Boys, who wanted to preserve the local tradition. “I was in Florida when I heard they (the Manolio family) were just going to throw it away,” said Joe Tomaro, of The Euclid Beach
Boys, who preserve local memorabilia. “I told my wife, ‘Please, go talk to Mrs. Manolio. Don’t let her throw it away.’ So we talked with her and she talked it over with her kids, and she just gave it to us.” There are about 16,000 to 18,000 original eggs in the collection. “It’s a preservation thing,” Tomaro said. “We can never recreate See Eggs • Page 6
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