CLEVELAND (WJW) — The man who admitted to the 2023 killing of a 77-year-old man at a Strongsville park is set to be sentenced Monday afternoon.
Viktor Vendler, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse, will appear before a judge at 1:30 p.m. on June 30 in Room 18A of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center.
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Vendler was arrested in May 2024 and later accepted a plea deal that dismissed additional charges, including a second aggravated murder count, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence.
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He is accused of luring Leroy Johnston to the Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville on Sept. 24, 2023, and fatally shooting him in the head. According to the agreement reached with prosecutors, Vendler is expected to be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 21 years.
Authorities have confirmed that Vendler and Johnston knew each other, but details of their relationship have not been disclosed…