A Butler County Common Pleas Court jury found a 69-year-old Butler man guilty of some charges and not guilty of others he faced in the Sept. 20, 2021 non-fatal stabbing of another man on Main Street in Butler.

Paul Leslie Lenzi was found not guilty of attempted homicide and one count of aggravated assault, but was found guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter and a separate charge of aggravated assault in the stabbing of 40-year-old Ryan Troup of Butler.

The jury of five women and seven men deliberated for about five hours over two days before rendering the verdict late Wednesday morning.

Lenzi, Troup, a Butler City police officer and other witnesses testified Tuesday morning before the case was handed to the jury in the afternoon.

According to testimony, Troup was sitting in his car parked in the area of 322 S. Main St. at 1:50 p.m. when the incident occurred.

Lenzi, who said he is a retired locksmith, approached Troup and asked if he needed help with the hood of his car, which was being held down with bungee cords.

Lenzi said Troup tried to hit him and he defended himself by stabbing him with a knife he had in the back pocket of his jeans. He said he retrieved the knife from his car before he approached Troup because he thought he might have to use it to cut the bungee cords.

Troup, who said he has been disabled since he was 12 years old, said he was waiting for a friend to return from a restaurant when approached by Lenzi. He said he was releasing the bungee cords when Lenzi began to stab him.

Troup suffered stab wounds to his neck and back, and defensive wounds on his hands and fingers. None of the stab wounds appeared to be life threatening, but Troup said he has not had feeling in one finger since the incident.

Witnesses said they saw both men on the ground, with Lenzi on top and stabbing Troup.

An off-duty county adult probation officer heard screaming from a nearby building and responded. He said he drew his off-duty gun and ordered Lenzi to stop and drop the knife twice before he complied. Lenzi said he has difficulty hearing, and used a hearing device during the trial.

Photographs used as evidence showed Troup’s stab wounds and Lenzi wearing a shirt and jeans with blood splatters.

City police recovered the knife and arrested Lenzi after questioning him at the police station. He is being held in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Paul Lenzi