William "Sonny" Young Jr., age 69, was found shot to death on August 11, 2010, in the woods behind his home on Spring Valley Road, near Highlandtown in Salineville, Ohio. He had been missing for a few days before his body was discovered, and the initial investigation pointed to suspicious circumstances. On July 31, 2010, Young left for a fishing trip but did not return on time. His disappearance was first noticed when Huntington Bank officials reported that someone was trying to impersonate Young while attempting to withdraw $3,500 from his account on August 3. Authorities found Young’s property, including his PT Cruiser, in the possession of Charles Bogart Jr., who was taken into custody shortly thereafter.
Years later, after a renewed investigation by the Columbiana County Cold Case Task Force, Charles Bogart Jr., 49, was charged with the murder of William Young Jr. Bogart initially faced charges of aggravated murder and murder, both with firearm specifications, and was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and burglary. He entered a guilty plea as part of a plea deal and received a sentence of 16 years in prison. The plea agreement reduced the original murder charge to involuntary manslaughter, considering the challenges in prosecuting such an old case, including fading memories of witnesses and limited evidence availability.
Bogart had a history of stealing Young’s personal property after the murder. He attempted to pass himself off as Young to withdraw money and used multiple credit cards belonging to Young, amassing thousands of dollars in purchases. The investigation ultimately benefited from advances in technology and the formation of the Cold Case Task Force in 2021, which helped uncover new evidence that led to Bogart's indictment and subsequent conviction. The Columbiana County Prosecutor, along with other local agencies, emphasized the importance of cold case investigations, stressing their commitment to delivering justice for victims and closure for their families.
