Berea man charged with murder
By Michelle Payne
North Olmsted
Published August 17, 2005

Kevin Ferko (Photo from the North Olmsted Police Department.)

A Berea man is now facing a murder charge after allegedly beating an Avon man to death during a North Olmsted party on Aug. 6.

Kevin Ferko, 18, was originally charged with involuntary manslaughter after he punched and kicked another partygoer, 23-year-old Matt Leibsla, who later died at Fairview Hospital after spending 10 hours on life support. After a week of investigation, police determined a more severe charge was necessary.

"Through our investigation, we were able to substantiate the other charge," said Det. Bud Branscum. "It was revisited by our prosecutor, Mike Gordillo ,who changed the charge to murder."

According to police, Leibsla, a 1999 graduate of North Olmsted High School, was an innocent partygoer just trying to keep the peace when Ferko, an uninvited guest, attacked him after being asked to leave the party.

The case was originally scheduled to be heard in Rocky River Municipal Court yesterday, but was filed with the Cuyahoga County grand jury on Aug. 15. The initial charge was subsequently changed to murder B, according to Jamie Dalton, public information officer for Cuyahoga County prosecutor Bill Mason. The charge is a first-degree felony and less severe than aggravated murder because it pertains to cases where someone commits another act and murders someone, she said.

Ferko is also charged with felonious assault, which is a second-degree felony since it is in addition to the murder charge. The charge carries a maximum sentence of two to eight years in prison and a $10,000 fine. If convicted of murder, Ferko would face a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Ferko has been moved to the Cuyahoga County jail and is being held on the original bond of $500,000 pending his arraignment.

"He'll be arraigned - that's set for Aug. 29." Dalton said. "They'll ask him what his plea is - likely he'll say not guilty and he'll be assigned a judge and a bond,"

The Cuyahoga County coroner, Elizabeth Balraj, ruled the death a homicide last week, but wouldn't distinguish which blow actually killed Leibsla.