Man guilty of killing two outside Columbus bar sentenced to life in prison

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A man who pleaded guilty to a double murder in a shooting outside of a northeast Columbus bar will serve at least more than 50 years in prison.

Jonathan Pigram, 39, was sentenced to life in prison with parole possible after 52 to 57 1/2 years by a Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge Thursday. Pigram, of Columbus, admitted to fatally shooting Cornet Powell and Dawn Dunn outside of Cheers Too on Cleveland Avenue, March 1, 2023.

Pigram, who police said did not know the victims, also shot two other people outside the bar that night. One person was struck in the face by a bullet, the other was not injured.

In October, Pigram, who also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and one count of having weapons under disability in an unrelated case, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder. Additional charges of aggravated murder, attempted murder, aggravated burglary and four weapons charges were dropped in the plea agreement.

The judge agreed with the request of Franklin County prosecuting attorneys, who asked for a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 52 years - the additional 5 1/2 years in prison is at the discretion of the Department of Correction. Pilgrim will be eligible for parole at the age of 91.