May 4, 2024 By Mike Jones 3 min read

The trial for the Greene County 911 operator facing charges that he refused to send an ambulance to aid a Sycamore woman, who died the day after her family called in vain asking for help, has been scheduled for June.

Senior Judge Katherine Emery set jury selection for Leon Price’s trial for June 10, with opening arguments scheduled to begin that same day in Greene County Court of Common Pleas, according to online court documents.

Price is charged with involuntary manslaughter and several other misdemeanor counts in connection with the death of 54-year-old Diania Kronk nearly four years ago.

Investigators said Kronk’s adult daughter, Kelly Titchenell, called 911 for help on July 1, 2020, when her mother was suffering from a medical emergency, but Price allegedly would not send an ambulance unless Kronk agreed to go to the hospital. Kronk died the following morning from what investigators previously said was due to internal bleeding.

Price, 51, of Waynesburg was charged in June 2022, and is facing misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment, official oppression and obstruction of justice, in addition to involuntary manslaughter

Three Greene County emergency officials – Gregory Leathers, Robert “Jeff” Rhodes and Richard Policz – were charged the following month and accused of obstructing the investigation. However, Emery threw out the cases against the three supervisors in November because she found there was no evidence that they blocked efforts by investigators to gather information about the 911 center’s call logs or policies.

In April, Leathers and Rhodes filed a federal lawsuit claiming malicious prosecution by former district attorney David Russo and Zachary Sams, who was the county’s lead detective and filed the criminal charges.

Sams also led the investigation into Kronk’s death, although he no longer works for any law enforcement agencies in Greene County, and his availability to testify at trial is unclear.

Greene County District Attorney Brianna Vanata, who took the helm as prosecutor in January, could not be reached for comment on the case Friday.

Price’s defense attorney, Timothy Ross, also could not be reached for comment on whether he thinks the trial will proceed as scheduled in June. Price has been free on $15,000 unsecured bond while awaiting trial.

Kronk’s family filed a federal lawsuit in June 2022 against the Greene County Emergency Management/911 Communications Center, while also naming Price as a defendant, but the civil case is effectively in a holding pattern until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.

Emery, a retired judge from Washington County who was appointed to preside over the case, set the trial date during a status conference on April 25.