Mark Mann is pictured on screen in Judge Oswick's courtroom at the Portage County Courthouse in Ravenna.

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

The Palmyra man accused of murdering his girlfriend called 911 and reported finding her beaten and lying on her bedroom floor early Wednesday — hours before authorities charged him with murder.

Mark A. Mann, 29, of 3462 Alliance Road, appeared via video at his arraignment Thursday in Portage County Municipal Court. He is charged with murder in connection with the death of 33-year-old Samantha R. Anielski. 

Authorities found Anielski’s body inside the home the two shared in Palmyra.

Mann appeared on a video link-up from the Portage County jail in Portage County Municipal Court Judge Barbara Oswick’s courtroom.

Oswick set Mann’s bond at $2 million.

In the 911 call, Mann told dispatchers he struggled to perform CPR because Anielski’s mouth was “busted up,” according to a recording of the call, which was released Thursday by the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.

What follows is a brief segment of the recording:

Dispatcher: “What happened to her?”

Mann: “She’s beat up.”

Dispatcher: “Who beat her up?”

Mann: “I don’t know.”

Dispatcher: “Was Samantha at the house by herself?”

Mann: “Yes.”

Dispatcher: “Is there any signs of a break-in at the house?”

Mann: “No.”

Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci told Oswick he recommended the $2 million bond “based upon the seriousness of the offense.”

Portage County Sheriff David Doak confirmed Mann and Anielski lived together at 3462 Alliance Road in Palmyra, where deputies discovered Anielski’s body shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

“They were in a relationship,” Doak said. “I’m not sure if they were formally engaged.”

Doak would not comment on the cause of death, but there was some delay between the discovery of the body and confirmation Anielski was the deceased. 

An autopsy was completed by the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office, but neither the sheriff’s office nor the Portage County Coroner’s Office would release the report Thursday.

Doak also would not comment on what led investigators to charge Mann. He declined to release further details Thursday.

In the 911 call, Mann told dispatchers he entered the house through a garage door and found Anielski lying on the bedroom floor. He said blood was on her bed and a TV set was knocked over near her body.

Mann also told dispatchers he called his mother to the scene after finding Anielski. 

According to court records, Mann has a history of criminal charges, including a felonious assault charge filed in 2002 in which Mann was accused of assaulting a Portage County sheriff’s deputy.

Officers took Mann into custody for questioning Wednesday afternoon, but investigators did not formally file the murder charge until late Wednesday.

A preliminary hearing in the case has been set for 9:15 a.m. Oct. 16. Oswick said the prosecutor’s office must show probable cause at the hearing that the murder occurred and Mann committed the crime.

“If the state is unable to prove both, the matter would be dismissed,” she said.