LISBON — William P. Long Jr., the Lisbon man convicted of killing his ex-wife, Michelle, a Leetonia teacher, on Nov. 29, 2023 filed a notice of appeal Wednesday afternoon to challenge his conviction and life sentence.

The appeal was filed by attorney Edward Czopur in the Seventh District Court of Appeals on behalf of Long, 51, whose last local address was North Market Street. He was appealing the guilty findings and the sentence issued on Feb. 11 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

The summary of probable issues for review included: the conviction was based on insufficient evidence and the conviction was against the manifest weight of evidence.

Long was accused of pulling up next to Michelle’s truck while she was getting her mail and shooting her to death in front of her Carey Road home in Butler Township at 5:45 p.m. Nov. 29, 2023. She was 50 years old and had taught that day at Leetonia High School where she was a math/STEM/industry teacher, junior high robotics coach and junior high track coach. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. She had been with the district for eight years .

A jury of six men and six women found Long guilty of aggravated murder and murder, both unclassified felonies, and first-degree felony discharging a firearm upon a roadway, with jurors finding that he used a gun for all three charges.

Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton followed the recommendation of the prosecution for the sentence: life in prison without the possibility of parole for aggravated murder, with the murder charge merged with the aggravated murder for the purpose of sentencing; a mandatory three years for the gun specification attached to the aggravated murder; 11 years for the discharging a firearm charge, plus an additional mandatory three years for another gun specification.

That brought the total to life in prison without parole plus 17 years since the terms were ordered served consecutively. He received credit for 621 days already served in jail since his arrest and he was advised of his duty to register as a violent offender if he ever got out.

Defense attorney David Betras indicated after the sentencing that an appeal would be filed, saying his client had maintained his innocence since the day he was hired. Betras was part of a defense team that included defense attorneys Frank Cassese and Tallie Orengia, along with several other staff members helped out.

The prosecution was represented by county Assistant Prosecutors Alec Beech and Jennifer Bonish.