Man found guilty in 2 shooting deaths

A Hamilton County jury found Cumminsville man guilty Monday in the October shooting deaths of two men in Millvale.

Marvin French, 30, was convicted of murder, aggravated murder and robbery, said Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Norbert Nadel.

The slayings stemmed from a drug deal gone wrong on Oct. 16, prosecutors said.

That evening, French went to a garage in the 3200 block of Beekman St. with Jermico Clifford, 30, of Cincinnati and Joseph Strickland Jr. to buy marijuana from Alberto Hamilton, 29, of Hamilton.

Once there, French and Clifford began arguing with Hamilton and pulled out guns in an attempt to rob him, prosecutors said. Hamilton and Clifford struggled over a gun, and French started firing at them.

Hamilton and Clifford were fatally wounded.

In 2000, Clifford was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the 1997 death of Ricardo Hillard, the brother of Cincinnati Police Officer Bill Hillard. A judge sentenced Clifford to spend five years in prison on the charge. He had been out for about a year when he was shot dead.

Officer Hillard responded to the Beekman Street homicide and identified Clifford's body.

French faces 23 years to life in prison when Nadel sentences him June 22.

Truck, police car collide in Milford

MILFORD - A Milford police officer escaped serious injury Monday after a tractor-trailer turned in front of her patrol car, causing a crash.

Officer Julianne Rymer was treated at Bethesda North Hospital and released, said Milford Police Chief Larry Lantman.

Rymer was driving west on Main Street in front of the Big Lots store about 11:17 a.m. when the tractor-trailer made a right turn from the center lane in front of her patrol car.

The truck driver, Robert A. Wilson, 22, of Kokomo, Ind., was cited for improper lane change.

The police cruiser was destroyed, Lantman said.

Search resumes today for missing swimmer

UNION TOWNSHIP - Police and fire rescue suspended their search Monday night for a 19-year-old man who may have drowned behind Harbor Cove apartments in Clermont County.

Rescue crews responded to the lake behind the apartment complex in the 500 block of Anchor Drive about 3:20 p.m. for a report of a possible drowning, authorities said.

A boy told a group of fishermen that his uncle had been swimming across the lake and had gone under the water.

The search will resume today.