Ravenna mom pleads guilty to drunk driving crash which killed 2 daughters, 13-year-old family friend

PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - A Ravenna mother pleaded guilty Wednesday in Portage County Court of Common Pleas to a deadly drunk driving accident in Dec. 2020.

Julianne Shead, 42, was convicted of three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, four counts of aggravated vehicular assault, OVI, reckless operation, and driving under suspension.

She pled guilty to multiple counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and driving under the influence in Portage County court.

The tragic crash happened nearly two years ago, authorities said the Ravenna mom was speeding when she hit a tree killing her oldest daughter, 22-year-old Marlana Mullin, her youngest daughter, 12-year-old Christine Shead, and her son’s girlfriend, 13-year-old Evey Montecalvo.

They were on their way to visit their dad’s gravesite.

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers said Shead was speeding when she hit a tree in the 8100 block of Peck Road in Shalersville Township.

“Our older sister Marlena was very upbeat and bubbly,” said Amanda Paxson, Shead’s oldest surviving daughter. “She had a very bubbly personality. She loved to dance. She was very funny. Christine was like my little mini-me. She was my everything that was my baby sister. I loved her to pieces. She was one of the first ones that found out I was pregnant the first time and she cried. She was so excited, and my daughter’s middle name was named after her. It’s Everly Christine in honor of her, we named her after our sister.”

The mom had previously pled not guilty to the crimes.

A 19 News investigation revealed that the mother of six has been arrested four times for driving under the influence. The third time was in September of 2020, and as a result, her license was suspended, but that didn’t stop her -- because she got the fourth the day of the tragic crash, just two months later.

“We’re talking about someone who chose to drive at a .105 and you can’t call that an accident, you have to call that something else, you have to call it a tragedy,” said Jon Sinn, Shead’s defense attorney. “There’s a lot of tragedy here but today we’re taking responsibility for what Julianne did.”

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, but Shead could face up to 50 years in prison and will likely lose her license for life.

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