PREBLE COUNTY — A Preble County man accused of murdering his son in Dec. 2016 was found guilty by a jury last week.
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Gabriel Schaaf, 58, of Lewisburg, was accused of killing his son, Jonathan Schaaf, 29, in a home on Sonora Road.
Gabriel was convicted on aggravated murder and tampering with evidence charges, with the possibility of 20-years to life in prison, Preble County Prosecutor Martin Votel said in a media release Tuesday.
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Sentencing was scheduled for March 13.
Gabriel originally told investigators his son received threats weeks before his death, before later admitting to killing Jonathan with a hatchet, Votel said in the release. Gabriel also admitted to deputies a 911 call he made that claimed he found his son dead and the front door ajar had been a lie, Votel said.
Gabriel had also claimed to investigators that he acted in self-defense, prosecutors said.
“While the motive for the killing remains unknown, it is beyond dispute that (Gabriel) wanted his son dead and that he acted swiftly and with specific intent to end his life,” Votel said.