Doczi pleads innocent to aggravated murder

Andy Doczi pleaded innocent Wednesday in Athens County Common Pleas Court to aggravated murder and other charges related to the May 23 shooting death of 33-year-old Andrew Everett of Shade.

In addition to aggravated murder, Doczi, 37, of Middleport, also is charged with murder, tampering with evidence and having a weapon while under disability. After Doczi pleaded innocent to all the charges, Judge Patrick Lang set a tentative trial date of Oct. 22.

County Assistant Prosecutor Meg Saunders asked that bond be set at $1 million with posting of 10 percent allowed, the same bond that was set when Doczi was originally charged Athens County Municipal Court. He was later indicted by a county grand jury on June 3.

Before setting bond, Lang asked Saunders for a brief statement of the allegations against Doczi so the judge could consider the question of public safety when setting the bond amount.

Saunders said that Doczi had loaned a truck to two people from Athens County to go to purchase methamphetamine in the Gallia County area.

“The two individuals from Athens (County) did not return the truck. Mr. Doczi got very annoyed...,” Saunders asserted, saying he continued to ask via messages for the truck to be returned.

“He then does go to the residence in which those two individuals live (and) to his own confession laid in the grass anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour with a loaded firearm on him,” Saunders continued.

Saunders said Everett “had absolutely nothing to do with the truck that wasn’t returned,” but went outside to move the truck and was allegedly shot by Doczi.

The body of was found several hours later outside the residence on Fossil Rock Road, near Shade.

“After that happened, Mr. Doczi also took law enforcement from Athens County directly to where he had hid the firearm as well as a backpack that contained drug paraphernalia and drugs...,” Saunders told the court, adding that Doczi allegedly admitted “cleaning out his house, knowing that law enforcement was coming for him.”

Doczi’s court-appointed attorney, Andrew Stevenson, did not contest the $1 million bond, but reserved the right to approach the court later about a bond reduction after he learns more about the case.