John Zanolli
A forensic psychologist has found John Zanolli competent to stand trial, and a new date has been set for his murder trial.
Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean O’Brien, acting Nov. 12, set the trial to begin Feb. 17. A pretrial hearing was set for Jan. 14. Zanolli has until that date to accept an offer from the prosecution to plead guilty to the indicted charges of aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse and be sentenced to 23 years to life in prison, meaning he would be eligible for parole after 23 years, said Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Becker. If Zanolli rejects the offer and is convicted at trial, he would not be eligible for parole, Becker said.
Zanolli, 62, is accused of shooting to death his sister, Janice Zanolli, 65, in the home they shared on Third Street in Masury. Her body was found March 1 by police conducting a welfare check. John Zanolli, who was present when police showed up, was arrested, Brookfield police said. It is believed Janice Zanolli had been dead since Feb. 26, police said.
Zanolli rejected the plea deal over the summer and trial was set for Sept. 15. The trial was postponed on the eve of its commencement when Zanolli’s attorneys filed a motion saying he had mental and physical health issues. Zanolli was diagnosed with diabetes while in jail and underwent surgery to amputate his left foot just prior to the motion being filed.
Zanolli’s defense team also questioned his mental health and asked for a competency evaluation and permission to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Forensic psychologist Jessica Hart performed the evaluation.
“He’s competent,” Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Becker said of Hart’s findings. “He’s not not guilty by reason of insanity.”
The prosecution and defense accepted Hart’s evaluation.
