LISBON A visiting judge has been assigned to preside over a key suppression hearing for William Long Jr., who is charged in the 2023 murder of his ex-wife, Michelle Long, a former Leetonia teacher.

The Columbiana County Court of Common Pleas has appointed Edward O'Farrell, a retired judge from Tuscarawas County Court, to handle the defendant's motion to suppress evidence. The assignment, made by the Supreme Court of Ohio, is for the sole purpose of reviewing the Motion to Suppress, which challenges search warrants issued by the court's administrative judge, Megan Bickerton.

Long Jr., 50, faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder, murder, and discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises, all with firearm specifications, stemming from an incident on Nov. 29, 2023.

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