Man accused of Lorain Public Library stabbing facing attempted murder, assault charges

A man who is accused of stabbing a person in the neck at the main branch of the Lorain Public Library in November is facing attempted murder, assault and related charges. Roy Lee Fennell, 44, who's had no listed address in court records, was indicted Friday by a Lorain County grand jury on one count of attempted murder, two counts of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence, all felonies, along with one count of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor. The case had not been assigned to a Common Pleas judge as of Friday. Fennell was being held in the Lorain County Jail on $500,000 cash bond. A message seeking comment on the case was left for Fennell's attorney, Maggie Lieux. Fennell is accused of stabbing another person, listed in court records by the initials D.H., on Nov. 18 at the main branch of the Lorain Public Library at West 6th Street and Reid Avenue. Lorain police said the alleged victim was a 23-year-old man who suffered a stab wound to the neck and was treated at a hospital. Library security guard John Merritt tackled Fennell and held him until police arrived. A knife was found at the scene. Library officials said the stabbing happened between two people following an argument in the computer lab. Police said they believed Fennell and the alleged victim knew each other. After Merritt handed Fennell over to Lorain police, he helped a library patron give first aid to the victim, who was then taken to Mercy Health — Lorain Hospital before being flown by LifeFlight helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. Lorain police said the alleged victim was in stable condition three days after the alleged assault. Fennell had been asked to leave both Lorain and Elyria libraries in the past due to violations of their conduct policies, directors of both systems previously told The Chronicle-Telegram. Merritt was honored by the Lorain Public Library board of trustees and SEIU 1199, the library workers union, for his actions.