UPDATE: Kent Man Found Guilty in June Stabbing Death

A Kent man was found guilty this morning of over the summer.

Leonard J. Armstrong, 49, of 112 Sherman St., pleaded no contest to two counts of murder in the June 5 death of Jeffrey A. Sipes, 57, who was June 6.

Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman accepted Armstrong's no contest pleas to two counts of murder at the Ravenna courthouse. Pittman ordered his case to go through a pre-sentencing investigation, effectively delaying his sentencing for at least a week or more.

Armstrong appeared in court with his attorney, Frank Beane, who tried to suppress statements his client had made to police officers admitting to Sipes’ murder. Pittman denied Beane’s attempt to prevent the evidence from being heard at trial in a ruling made earlier this month.

This morning, Beane reminded the judge of her decision when he said he never officially received a copy of the ruling prior to this morning’s hearing.

“I would just like for the record to show that these motions (to suppress) were denied,” Beane said.

Beane wanted to suppress several video-recorded statements Armstrong had made to Kent Police, and he wanted to supress the submission of a black notebook investigators found in Armstrong’s apartment following his June 22 arrest. In the notebook, Armstrong had written “I did indeed kill Jeffrey Sipes.”

Armstrong, appearing in standard issue orange-and-white striped Portage County jail fatigues, said little other than to answer Pittman’s questions with a “Yes, mam” or “No” and to officially plead “No contest.”

By pleading no contest, Armstrong waived his right to a jury trial and to appeal any issues that may have arisen at trial. He pleaded no contest to both counts of murder — effectively admitting to the crime — in recognition of the fact the Portage County Prosecutor's Office had overwhelming evidence proving he killed Sipes.

Sipes was stabbed four times in the chest, according to the Portage County Coroner’s Office.

Testifying briefly on the record, Kent Police Det. Mark DiJerome said police found a broken knife and handle in Sipes’ apartment at 933 Lawrence Court when they found him dead on June 6. Armstrong’s DNA was found on the knife handle.

DiJerome said Armstrong admitted to himself and another officer that he killed Sipes. Armstrong told them he “Put a knife” to Sipes, DiJerome said.

Armstrong faces a minimum of 15 years in prison. Pittman continued his $1 million bond, so he will remain in the Portage County jail until his sentencing hearing.

“We will set this matter for a sentencing hearing at which time the victim’s family and friends may address the court,” she said.

In August, Armstrong pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity based on evidence that he is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic and has been under psychiatric care since the age of 20. In October, Pittman ruled Armstrong was competent and would stand trial based on a court ordered mental-health evaluation.

A registered sex offender, Armstrong had a history of criminal and mental health issues in New Jersey before moving to Ohio in 2008. Armstrong had been labeled in the lowest-risk category for a sexual offense that involved an adult female in New Jersey.

At the time of his arrest, June 22, Armstrong was a client at Coleman Professional Services Behaviorial Health in Kent and Ravenna, which among its services provides mental health counseling to people with behaviorial problems or severe and persistent mental illness.

Editor's note: this article was updated at 1:15 p.m. Nov. 28.