TIFFIN, Ohio — Representatives from 24 public and private agencies have launched the Seneca County Violence Prevention Task Force, meeting Friday, May 1, at the Seneca County Public Safety Building in Tiffin to establish the group’s bylaws.

The task force was initiated by Seneca County Common Pleas Court Magistrate Kenneth Clason, who works under Judge Steve Shuff, in the wake of a November 19, 2025, murder-suicide on Huss Street that left four people dead, including two young children.

According to a news release from the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, Clason contacted Sheriff Fredrick Stevens to gauge his interest before convening the group.

“I called Sheriff Stevens first and asked, ‘Should we do this?’ and he said, ‘We should have already,’” Clason said. “Sheriff Stevens was all for it. He opened up his Rolodex and helped me figure out who we should invite. He played a large part in that.”

5 focus areas

The bylaws identify five focus areas for the task force:

  • Promote collaboration among public and private agencies
  • Identify gaps in services and recommend improvements
  • Support education, prevention, and awareness initiatives
  • Encourage data sharing and evidence-based practices
  • Advocate for policies that enhance victim safety and offender accountability

“We want to get everyone in the room, open the door of communication…and develop best practices,” Clason said at the May 1 meeting.

The November 19 murder-suicide

The task force takes shape roughly five months after the Huss Street killings. According to the Tiffin Police Department, 42-year-old Ryan Eagon arrived at the 100 block of Huss Street the evening of November 19, 2025, while his estranged wife was moving out of the home with her boyfriend, 29-year-old Dustin Willey of Tiffin, and her two young children. Police said Eagon fatally shot Willey and the two children — Wrenn Willey, 7, and a 7-month-old — before turning the gun on himself outside the residence. The mother, whose identity is protected under Marsy’s Law, was uninjured.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Seneca County Coroner’s Office assisted in the investigation. A community candlelight vigil was held two days later at the Frost-Kalnow Amphitheater on Tiffin’s East Green.

Task force members

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the following entities and individuals are participating in the task force:

  • Sheriff Fredrick Stevens, Seneca County Sheriff’s Office
  • Chief David Pauly, Tiffin Police Department
  • Chief Gabe Wedge, Fostoria Police Department
  • Judge Damon Alt, Seneca County Common Pleas Court I
  • Judge Steve Shuff, Seneca County Common Pleas Court II
  • Judge Jay Meyer, Seneca County Juvenile and Probate Court
  • Judge Rhonda Best, Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court
  • Commissioner Brent Busdeker, Seneca County Commissioners’ Office
  • Seneca County Probation Services
  • Ohio Adult Parole Authority
  • Mircea Handru, Mental Health and Recovery Services Board
  • Patchworks House
  • Zach Fowler, Tiffin City Law Director
  • Seneca County Family & Children First Council
  • Seneca County Department of Job & Family Services
  • CASA
  • Seneca County Prosecutor’s Office
  • Defense Bar
  • First Step
  • Tiffin University
  • Heidelberg University
  • Mercy Health
  • Seneca County General Health District
  • Sisters in Shelter

The Sheriff’s Office said task force members will meet regularly to work on violence prevention, awareness, and education in Seneca County.