CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — A man has been charged with attempted murder and felonious assault after Circleville police say an extensive investigation determined a victim found with a severe head wound near AutoZone on West Mound Street was allegedly attacked with a hatchet.
The investigation began around 5:34 a.m. on June 29, when Circleville police responded to a welfare check at 326 W. Mound St. Officers found an injured man lying near the entrance to the AutoZone parking lot with a large laceration to his head. The victim, who was covered in blood, told officers he could not remember what had happened and initially believed he may have been struck by a vehicle.
Officers located the victim’s bicycle nearby along with blood evidence, a broken cellphone, and tire tracks leading toward the Cargill property. He was first transported to Berger Hospital before being transferred to Grant Medical Center for treatment.
Hours later, the investigation took a dramatic turn when workers discovered a hatchet with suspected blood on it in a dirt lot near the railroad tracks across from AutoZone. Employees from Dynahoe Construction and Cargill notified police after finding the weapon approximately 100 yards from where the victim had been located. Detectives collected the hatchet as evidence and obtained DNA elimination samples from workers who had handled it before law enforcement arrived.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from Cargill, AEP, Sunoco, and other nearby businesses over the following days. According to police, the video showed the victim and an unidentified man together near AutoZone shortly before 5:10 a.m. The footage allegedly captured the suspect chasing the victim before fleeing east toward the railroad tracks, where investigators say the man appeared to throw an object into the area where the hatchet was later recovered.
Detectives also interviewed a witness who lived in a camper near AutoZone. The witness reported that around 3 a.m., an unfamiliar man identifying himself as “Scotty” knocked on his door asking for another individual, as well as water and a cigarette. The witness described the man as appearing to be under the influence of drugs and later identified him as matching the suspect seen in surveillance footage.
When detectives later interviewed the victim at Grant Medical Center, he said he had been with a man he knew only as James, who had been carrying a hatchet that night. The victim said he had no memory of the assault itself but recalled blacking out and waking up in the roadway. He described James as a homeless man with long brown hair and extensive tattoos who had recently been released from prison and was known to use methamphetamine.
Over the next several days, investigators gathered additional surveillance footage, sought assistance from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office, and compared the suspect’s appearance with law enforcement records. Detectives ultimately identified the suspect as James Gillilan Jr. through surveillance video, prior body camera footage, photographs, and witness identifications.
On July 10, detectives interviewed another individual who reportedly identified Gillilan as the man shown in surveillance footage.
Police said that based on the totality of the evidence—including surveillance video, witness statements, physical evidence, and investigative findings—a warrant was issued charging James Gillilan Jr. with attempted murder and felonious assault.
Later that afternoon, officers arrested Gillilan at a residence on Logan Street in Circleville. According to police, Gillilan declined to speak with investigators after being advised of his Miranda rights and was transported to the Pickaway County Jail without incident.
The recovered hatchet, DNA samples, and other evidence—including a blood-stained cellphone, bicycle, and additional items recovered from the scene—have been submitted as part of the ongoing case.
As with all criminal cases, the charges against Gillilan are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
