33-year-old Franklin James Butterbaugh
The Ross County Grand Jury met on Friday, June 6th, 2025, with three cases open for release to the public. From testimony in the the grand jury in one of the cases, according to the Ross County Prosecutor’s Office:
On March 23rd, a Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to Lunbeck Road, south of Chillicothe, in reference to a burglary. The victim said his neighbor had told him that a man had run to the back of the victim’s house, then ran back to the front and left in a Jeep with with a woman.
The victim found he was missing his new Playstation and Nintendo Switch. The deputy saw that there was damage to the back door, but the victim said it was old.
The victim reviewed of the neighbor’s video surveillance, and recognized the suspect by his shoes, hoodie, and Jeep: 33-year-old Franklin James Butterbaugh of Linn Street in Chillicothe.
Later, after making contact with Butterbaugh’s wife at her Eastern Avenue home, Butterbaugh called in to speak with the deputy and said he was trying to improve his life.
He was later arrested, and over several jail phone calls, Butterbaugh told his wife to “take the white thing in.” The deputy knew that Playstation consoles are white.
For indictments on a third-degree felony, Butterbaugh could get up to three years and $10,000 in fines. He remains in custody in the Ross County Jail.