GREENFIELD — Judge Jane Mulqueen sentenced Ronald P. Mitchell III, 35, of Athol, to two years of probation after he pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to one count of armed robbery and two counts of kidnapping stemming from an incident in 2023.
Northwestern District Attorney’s Office Senior Trial Counsel Matthew Thomas, the case’s prosecutor, explained in Franklin County Superior Court that Mitchell’s cooperation with the prosecution and testimony made him a prime candidate for a reduced sentence.
Thomas explained that Mitchell’s two years of sobriety, gainful employment and strong ties to family also show that he has made significant progress toward becoming a law-abiding citizen — factors that he said were responsible for the reduced sentence. Though he once struggled with drug use, Thomas said that Mitchell has since “turned a corner.”
“[Mitchell’s] defense testimony was instrumental in allowing the jury to understand what happened on the evening of Feb. 1,” Thomas said. “Mr. Mitchell was a witness to the beating of [the victim], and it was a significant beating, and this is something that I’m certain Mr. Mitchell carried with him since that event. Mr. Mitchell is in this position where he’s trying to start a new family and he’s been sober for a period of years. … Mr. Mitchell has turned a corner in our pretrial work and getting ready for his testimony.”
Mitchell’s charges stem from a 2023 incident. According to police reports, a man visited the Athol Police Station at roughly 5:10 p.m. on Feb. 2 to report being assaulted the previous night and having several items stolen. The man had injuries to his hand, head, face and back, and was directed to Athol Hospital for medical evaluation.
The man reportedly told police that he and a friend went to 32 Laurel St. at about 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 to buy drugs. According to police reports, co-defendant April McCassie accused the two men of being at 5 Sanders St. when items had been stolen there the night before. The reporting victim told police he and the other man had stolen clothes belonging to Athol resident Franklin Payne’s brother.
The victim said McCassie called Payne to tell him that the two men were at the house. Two men — later identified as James Murphy and Brian Chamberland — then allegedly grabbed the reporting victim’s friend and held him until Payne arrived.
The reporting victim said Payne arrived and began hitting the other man, with Payne at one point holding a pocket knife to the victim’s face before questioning the victim, who admitted to stealing the clothing. He said Payne started hitting him in the face and dragged him into the back bedroom.
After the roughly 90-minute assault, which included Payne whipping a victim with his belt and acquiring the victim’s debit card pin, Mitchell transported the victim to his grandfather’s house, alongside co-defendant Marlene Hill, to retrieve the stolen clothing.
John Godleski, Mitchell’s defense attorney, agreed with the state’s recommended sentence in court on Thursday, arguing that Mitchell, as a term of his probation, be permitted to travel out of state so he can continue his work as a roofer and builder in New Hampshire.
Godleski also echoed Thomas’ remarks, pointing to the fact that his client has maintained his sobriety and made progress to improve his life over the past three years.
“When I first met Mr. Mitchell three years ago … he was in the throes of addiction, and it’s been remarkable to watch him turn around,” he said. “He has been sober for three years. He’s been employed … he has a child on the way and he’s in what is, from my perspective, a loving relationship. … He’s got a safe place to live, a clean place to live, which wasn’t the situation when this case started. So we’re really in a much different position now.”