One man could face the death penalty after additional charges are added to the murder case of Ohio State student Christopher Gerspacher.
Eric Spar, whose trial date has been set for Nov. 4, also faces the charge of hiring Patrick Brunty to commit murder.
Spar is one of three men charged with aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery in the Gerspacher murder.
The three men indicted for the killing were Eric Spar, 29, of Columbus, Patrick Brunty, 37, of Orient, and Michael Roskuski, 34, of Delaware.
“The original charge was for committing robbery,” said Duncan Whitney, Delaware County’s prosecuting attorney, “but a second charge has been added that (Spar) hired Brunty and he could be given the death penalty for that.”
Brunty, also charged in Gerspacher’s murder, was initially set to go to trial Monday. However, after changing his plea from not guilty to guilty, his sentencing was re-scheduled for Nov. 15.
Roskuski pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to commit murder and will testify against Spar. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 18.
According to Brunty and Roskuski’s testimony, Spar said Gerspacher had to be killed as payback for a bad drug deal between the two that took place six years ago.
Gerspacher, a 26-year-old senior at the time of his death, disappeared from his off-campus apartment Dec. 22.
On Jan. 29, Gerspacher’s body was found near Alum Creek Reservoir in Delaware County with a fatal gun shot wound to the back of the head.
