A Shade man who was originally charged with murder for allegedly killing a woman friend and then burning her body in a car pled guilty to a reduced charge Monday in Athens County Common Pleas Court.

Steve Dougan, 27, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after he pled to involuntary manslaughter in the February death of Crystal King, 27, of Pomeroy.

Dougan also pled to counts of aggravated arson, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. He had already been facing those charges as well as the murder charge.

Dougan was arrested after authorities found a badly burned corpse in a vehicle Feb. 11, located on Chase Road southwest of Athens.

DNA testing later revealed the body to be that of King, an acquaintance of Dougan’s who had at one time had a romantic relationship with him.

According to Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren, however, at Dougan’s plea hearing Monday, the defense stated that Dougan and King had gotten involved romantically again, and that this led to an argument in which Dougan accidentally killed King.

Warren reported that according to the defense, King had threatened Dougan that she would reveal his “indiscretions” with her to Dougan’s current girlfriend.

This led to a fight, Warren said, in which Dougan shoved King, and she hit her head on a car door, causing a fatal injury.

The fight apparently took place at Dougan’s home.

Warren said he believes the outcome of Dougan’s case is appropriate, as he believes the facts in the case don’t support the claim that Dougan deliberately planned to kill King.

“Based upon the facts, it’s not a murder case,” he said.

Warren said Dougan received 10 years each on the manslaughter and arson charges, to run concurrently. He received three years on the tampering charge and one year on the abuse-of-a-corpse charge, also run concurrently. The two sets of prison terms were then run consecutively, to result in a 13-year sentence, he said.

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Not a Murder Case, WHAT?
written by Blackburn, November 03, 2009

Athens County continues to amaze me. Not that long ago, three young black men, two of them juveniles allegedly with no physical evidence caused someone's death and received 28 to life sentence in the adult penile system.(THE KING MURDER OCCURRED ON FEB. 11. THE MURDER CASE OF NEW MARSHIELD HAPPENED OCCURRED ON FEB 15.) And her a 27 yr old man kills his beloved one in cold blooded murder. After the fact burns and desecrates his girlfriends body. Only 13 yrs in prison. That is a slap to the face to Ms. King. Hamda Jama, Who allegedly picked up the two juveniles from Columbus for muscle only gets 4 yrs. Ask yourself this question. Who is The Athens County Prosecutor Office really protecting the public from?

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But it was an accident, really
written by Typical, November 03, 2009

"Dougan and King had gotten involved romantically again, and that this led to an argument in which Dougan accidentally killed King."

ACCIDENTALLY, seriously, are you kidding me? Are people buying this, probably so. I'm ashamed to have grown up and spent most of my life in Shade and Athens, and this is one reason I left, and it is this kind of thing that gives all of rural America a bad name.

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written by sue, November 03, 2009

I have to agree with both statements above. I have seen people get more time for drugs and other crimes. This is such a crock. I know if I accidently kill someone I will make sure to do it in Athens County. I don't care if he intended to kill her or not, he did and it is MURDER. David Warren is killing me. How is this case not Murder?

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written by hatethis, November 03, 2009

this makes me sick are you really serious??? did you know him???? do you know that he really didnt mean to do it??? i dont think so heres a man that killed a woman that i knew my daughters cousin one of my friends and your telling me that hes only getting 13 years????? he takes a beautiful soul a wonderful life and only gets 13 years??? i was there i knew her i miss her and i love her everyday and not one day goes by that i dont think about her and what i found that day he might as well just have been sent home and told not to do it again... he burned her he didnt just hurt her her mother and father and brother couldnt even bury her we couldnt say goodbye but yet in 13 years he can go home to his family and his child and yet her mother will never see her again ill never see her smile again or just go for a drive with her this is just sick you guys should really get your stuff together and think about what you have done because when you let him out he will come looking for us... the ones who caught him... you think the system did but i tell you now it was 2 young women and myself that figured out what this monster did we seen the blood and we seen what he did a slap on the hand seems hardly like justice the system is wrong and im never going to believe in it.... we miss you crystal and love you everyday your never fogot not as long as im alive babygirl!!!!!

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written by jeff, November 03, 2009

I guess they realize they should have sentenced him to death row. If he's smart he won't return to Meigs county. 13 years for Murder! He killed her then tried to get away with it and guess what you let him her folks won't. Tattoo cross hairs on his head to make it easier for us.

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written by hatethis, November 03, 2009

i guess this is all you get for takin a life.... that day in there with them they told me they would get the death penilty i dont see it???? does anyone else????? no because the system only sees money thats ok everyone here knows what he is and wont ever forget it!!!!!!!

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What A Joke Athens County Judical System Is!
written by Rich Smith, November 03, 2009

This man murdered, then burned, and attempted to get away with killing his best friend! I knew them both personally. I had both of them in my house! And I want to ask the judge if it was his daughter would Steven be facing 13 years or the death penalty? What if it was your wife, your mother, your friend that was taken. Accident my ass! Your accepting his word as truth! It's a shame just cause her family don't have resources that the court system allowed this injustice! Congrats to the voters of Athens County on a well elected official! This is ridiculous! I robbed 2 stores while on drugs and got more time than he did for MURDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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written by ashley, November 03, 2009

well rich they dont seem to care its a shame people get more time for drugs justice will always get served one way or another hopefully sooner then later this s**t has haunted me since feb the images i see in my head ill never get them to leave me be they will always be there the blood the foot prints him calling me asking me who was working the case i laugh in david Warrens face you think you did justice??????? no you just made people angry i was there i seen what he did i seen her family i cried with them and i see her smile in my mind right now David Warrendo you???? do you see her smile??? sad very sad ill never see it again.... i heard her voice that day do you know what she sounded like? i dont think so... i hope you rest well at night knowing you slapped a monster on the hand because noone else will i know i wont.... i cant even drive my car without thinking about her because that was her favorite thing to do did you know that???? no thats right you didnt know a damn thing about her.... yes im angry and yes im hurt the system has FAILED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it has FAILED her thank you David Warrenfor making a huge mistake dont lose any sleep knowing you did the WRONG thing!

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written by ashley, November 03, 2009

http://xw.textdata.com:81/cgi/...cid=310984
The face of a MURDERER!!!!!!!!!!

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written by ashley, November 03, 2009

Warren said he believes the outcome of Dougan’s case is appropriate, as he believes the facts in the case don’t support the claim that Dougan deliberately planned to kill King.

he went and got a motel room to wash the blood off him... he burned her... lied to me said he didnt know where the blood came from "what blood" is what he said to me on the phone.... called me a 100 times because this nobody right here caught him... told us to go in and use his phone and get a drink and wait for him... do you think he was gonna take it easy on us once he got there if we had went in????? i dont think so he tried to lie to us and tell us he heard some black guys from the plains did it.. funny how that works out huh???

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written by ..........., November 03, 2009

It's over babygirl!

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written by ..........., November 03, 2009

how come commments are getting deleted?

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not fair
written by sheila, November 04, 2009

He killed her and burned her body he gets 13 years. my son never killed any one and they want to give him more years {john w perryII}now every one can see how athens county is it is just certain people

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WTF is wrong with the text?
written by mike, November 04, 2009

What is up with the text in this article? I can read it from across the room for God's sake. Terry Smith must have left his glasses at home or something.

Editor's note: My glasses work OK. There's a problem with Jim P.'s computer. When he tries to load articles onto our site, they don't convert to the default font. We're not sure why that happens, and try to correct it when we see it. There's always somethin'.

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MURDER or MANSLAUTER?
written by Eric, November 05, 2009

On Feb. 11th a rural man named Steve Dougan kills his girlfriend, burns her body, runs to a hotel to clean up and get away with murder in Athens county. On Feb. 15 an alleged horrific home invasion occurs in new marshfield, where two armed goons or muscle are picked up from Columbus by a co-defendent who is now serving only four years in prison. What ever the prosecuter calls the two teens who have no history of of violence or crime, go to a drug house to buy drugs and are encountered with a hail of bullets ranging from 9mm bullets(murder weapon that belongs to John Perry), 40 cal., chinesse SK, pump action shot gun. They barely get away with their lives, now they are serving 28 to life sentence for two counts aggravated robbery, murder/firearm and the rural cold blooded killer is serving on 13 years for two counts of aggravated murder , arson, abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence, perjury, voluntary mansaluter. Just to show how the justice system is very cruel to young black men. As long as everyone stands by and does nothing the nothing will be done.

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written by Shannon, November 05, 2009

Eric, How do you know that was John Perry's weapon, were you there? I am so sick of hearing about the race card as well. I don't agree with the outcome of that trial either but stop with the (they went to prison because they are young black men) It is you and others that keep this racism going. I think you need to look at the so called prosecutor in this case. I don't know what the outcome of John Perry Jr will be but you have noticed that he is not black right. I also think that the trial Of Dougans is such crap and I don't know how in the world that man only got 13 years. It is a slap in the face to her family and friends.

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I agree.
written by Pam, November 05, 2009

I agree with the above statement. White, Black or purple. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Mr. Warren was wrong for the 13 yrs. He is not there to believe what the criminal was thinking or feeling when he/she does the crime. He is there for justice of all law abiding citizens no matter what the color or lack of. The sooner everyone comes to term that we are all pink on the inside the better off we will be.I feel for the family of this young lady. Something needs to be done with the system that allows this to happen.

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