Gurto pleads not guilty; Bond set at $1 million

Nov. 18--CONNEAUT -- Joshua Gurto, 37, accused of the rape and murder of his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter, pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment Friday afternoon in Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court.

Gurto, shackled and under the watchful eye of several deputies, appeared before Judge Thomas Harris and a gallery filled with family and friends of the victim, Sereniti Jazzlynn-Sky Blankenship-Sutley. Many in the audience wore pink T-shirts in honor of the victim.

At the request of Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nicholas Iarocci, bond was set at $1 million cash or surety. Thomas Shaughnessy, one of two defense attorneys, did not object to the amount.

Gurto fled the area after he was charged by Conneaut officials and was captured two weeks later in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suburb.

The defendant said little during the hearing. As each charge was read, Harris asked Gurto if he understood.

"Yes, I do, your honor," he answered each time, his voice barely above a whisper.

The Conneaut man faces eight charges: aggravated murder (two counts) and murder (three counts), both unclassified felony offenses; rape (first-degree felony); felonious assault (first-degree felony) and domestic violence (first-degree misdemeanor).

Death penalty specifications were added to the aggravated murder charges. If found guilty of that charge, he could also be sentenced to life in prison without parole or jailed with parole possible after 25 or 30 years.

Going forward, the case will be heard by Judge Marianne Sezon.

Heavy security was in place for the hearing. Members of the media and the audience were seated and corridors cleared before Gurto was brought from jail to Harris' courtroom. The audience, which included members of Bikers Against Child Abuse, was cautioned by Harris not to disrupt the proceedings.

The hearing was conducted without incident.

Iarocci was joined by Cecilia Cooper, chief assistant county prosecutor. Shaughnessy's co-counsel is Ariana Tarighati.

Defense attorneys declined comment after the hearing. Family members sent word through a Victim Assistance Program representative that they would not speak to the media at this time.

Iarocci, after the hearing, decried the number of crimes being committed against children and promised "aggressive prosecution."

"We're seeing a lot of this type of case in the county," he said.

Sereniti's death occurred a short distance from Iarocci's residence in Conneaut.

"This hits home for me, personally," he said.

The charges stem from the Oct. 7 death of the child, the daughter of Gurto's girlfriend. He is not the child's father, authorities have said.

The girl died from blunt trauma to her head and trunk, according to the Ashtabula County coroner's office. No other details about the crime have been released by authorities.

Gurto was formally charged with murder and rape Oct. 13 by Conneaut Law Director Kyle Smith. Gurto fled the area, hitchhiking and camping in woods until captured without incident Oct. 27 in Franklin Park Borough, Pennsylvania.

Gurto was secretly

indicted by the Ashtabula County grand jury on Nov. 7 and returned to the county from Pennsylvania two days later.

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