Meet the Rapists and Murderers the Ohio Teen Killer Empowerment Act Could Free
On April 12, 2021, the Teen Killer Empowerment Act (Senate Bill 256) went into effect in Ohio and retroactively granted parole eligibility to numerous offenders incarcerated for violent crimes they committed as juveniles.
Specifically, the Teen Killer Empowerment Act does the following:
- Mandates parole eligibility for juvenile non-homicide offenders after no more than 18 years
- Mandates parole eligibility for juveniles who are the principal offender in one murder after no more than 25 years
- Mandates parole eligibility for juveniles who are the principal offender in two murders after no more than 30 years
- Only allows life without parole (LWOP) for juveniles who are the principal offender in three or more murders (the T.J. Lane exception)
- Mandates parole eligibility for juvenile offenders (except those who meet the T.J. Lane exception requirements) at least once every 5 years
Below is a list of just some of the offenders that the Teen Killer Empowerment Act benefits. This list is organized alphabetically by last name. For each offender, information is given regarding their crimes and their original sentence, as well as their new sentence under the Teen Killer Empowerment Act.
This list does not include Chardon High School shooter T.J. Lane (age 17 years and five months at the time of his crimes). This is because SB 256 has a T.J. Lane exception aimed at preserving Lane’s life without parole sentence.
If you believe that society should be protected from these violent felons, then contact Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio House Speaker Robert Cupp, and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman. The bottom of this post explains how to do that. And consider sharing this list on social media.
Also, visit Ohiocsf.com and follow OhioVictimRights on Medium and @OhioFairness on Twitter.
Jody Barker
Crimes: Aggravated murder (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Tuscarawas
Inmate number: A177027
Original sentence: 66 years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: October 2026
In 1983, Jody Barker, 16, shot an elderly couple to death before robbing their home. The career burglar even opened a can of pineapples and ate half of it at the victims’ kitchen table after he had shot them. Afterward, he returned home to watch TV. Days earlier, Barker had told a friend that he would burglarize the victims’ home and shoot them if they were there. Barker was sentenced to life with parole eligibility after 66 years. However, SB 256 has more than cut his sentence in half and made him eligible for parole in December 2021. He was denied and his subsequent parole hearing was scheduled for October 2026.
More Information
New state law affords December parole hearing to man who killed elderly Roswell neighbors
Chad Barnette and James Goins
Chad Barnette
Crimes: Felonious assault, kidnapping (3 counts), aggravated burglary (2 counts), attempted aggravated murder, and aggravated robbery (3 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Mahoning
Inmate number: A424293
Original sentence: 84 years
Parole hearing date: June 2022
James Goins
Crimes: Felonious assault, kidnapping (3 counts), aggravated burglary (2 counts), attempted aggravated murder, and aggravated robbery (3 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Mahoning
Inmate number: A424294
Original sentence: 84 years
Parole hearing date: September 2022
In 2001, Barnette and Goins went on a violent rampage. They attacked a man who had gone out to get his newspaper. They pushed the 84-year-old victim back into his home, beat him, and repeatedly knocked him to the ground. Barnette and Goins pushed the victim down the stairs to his basement, where he passed out. The attackers dragged the man to a storage room in the basement and locked the door to prevent him from escaping. The elderly victim suffered a concussion, punctured lung, broken ribs, a spinal cord contusion, and fractured vertebrae.
Later that night, Barnette and Goins kicked their way into the home of a 64-year-old wheelchair-bound man and his wife. They were armed with a sawed-off shotgun and threatened to shoot the couple if they did not give them money. Goins and Barnette beat both victims. The woman had to have staples put into her head as a result of her injuries.
More Information
State v. Goins, 2008-Ohio-1170
Juvenile offenders avoid life in prison
Nathan Brooks
Crimes: Aggravated murder (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 17 years, 5 months, and 7 days
County: Belmont
Inmate number: A337726
Original sentence: 43 years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: August 2025
In 1995, Nathan Brooks, 17, murdered his parents. He killed his mother Marilynn Brooks with a hatchet. And he shot his father Terry Brooks three times in the head. The murderer also decapitated Terry with a hacksaw — he wanted the head for a satanic ritual.
More Information
NATHAN JOHN BROOKS ODRC profile
Man Gets Two Life Sentences for Killing Parents
Chaz Bunch and Brandon Moore
Chaz Bunch
Crimes: Aggravated robbery, rape (3 counts), complicity in rape (3 counts), and kidnapping
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Mahoning
Inmate number: A434863
Original sentence: 49 years
Parole hearing date: September 2026
Brandon Moore
Crimes: Kidnapping, rape (3 counts), complicity in rape (3 counts), and aggravated robbery (3 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 15
County: Mahoning
Inmate number: A434865
Original sentence: 50 years
Parole hearing date: December 2026
In 2001, Brandon Moore, 15, and Chaz Bunch, 16, committed unspeakable horrors against “M.K.”, a 21-year-old Youngstown State University student. M.K. had arrived at her place of employment, a group home for mentally disabled women. Moore, wearing a mask, exited a black car and ran up to her. He pressed a gun against her, ordered her to give him all her money and belongings, and forced her into her car. He then got into M.K.’s car and drove away with her. After he had driven a short distance, he stopped behind the black car. Bunch entered M.K.’s car, put a gun to her head, and demanded money. Moore continued following the black car and eventually pulled ahead of it and drove down a dead-end street.
Moore and the black car stopped near an abandoned parking lot area. Bunch ordered M.K. out of her car and into the dark night. He and Moore proceeded to gang-rape her at gunpoint. At one point, M.K. claimed she was pregnant in an attempt to convince them to stop raping her. Her efforts to obtain some mercy from her attackers failed. They continued to take turns raping her.
Bunch stated that he wanted to kill M.K., but another kidnapper, Jamar Callier, would not let him do so. Moore shoved his gun into M.K.’s mouth and said, “Since you were so good, I won’t kill you.” He told her that they knew who she was and he threatened to harm her and her family if she told anyone about the crimes. The rapists then abandoned their naked and bleeding victim. M.K. was able to drive to safety and eventually testified against the rapists.
Bunch has been classified as a sexual predator while Moore is a designated sexually oriented offender. Bunch was sentenced to 49 years while Moore got 50 years. Because of SB 256, Bunch and Moore had parole hearings in February 2022 and May 2022, respectively. Bunch’s next parole hearing is in September 2026, while Moore’s is in December 2026.
More Information
State v. Moore, 149 Ohio St.3d 557, 2016-Ohio-8288
Convicted rapist up for parole
Prosecutors objecting to parole for man convicted of kidnapping, rape of YSU student in 2001
State v. Bunch, 2021 Ohio 1244 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021)
Inmate declared sex offender 18 years after rape of YSU student
Eddie Burns
Crimes: Robbery, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery (3 counts), RSP (2 counts), and attempted murder (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 15 and 16
County: Cuyahoga
Inmate number: A761462
Original sentence: 27 years
Parole hearing date: December 2035
Eddie Burns is incarcerated for numerous offenses, including aggravated robbery and attempted murder. He committed the crimes in 2017 and 2018 when he was 15 and 16.
Burns specifically targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. In one instance, Burns beat and robbed a 77-year-old man at an ATM. In another, he invaded an 87-year-old man’s home and repeatedly punched him in the face, head, and body. He tied the victim to a chair with duct tape and robbed him. Burns fled, leaving the man duct-taped to the chair. The victim freed himself the following morning. He suffered numerous injuries including major bruising on his face and back and bleeding on the brain. As a result of his injuries, he spent two weeks hospitalized and another two weeks in rehab.
Another time, Burns attacked a 76-year-old woman and used her walking cane to beat her. The victim’s 81-year-old husband threw himself on top of her to protect her. Burns then beat him with the cane and repeatedly stomped on his head, body, and stomach. Burns fled, but returned after realizing that he did not have the woman’s PIN. He proceeded to beat her and threaten to kill her if she did not give him an accurate PIN. The woman suffered serious facial swelling and lacerations and needed multiple stitches. The man suffered facial lacerations and eight facial fractures. He died several weeks later from natural causes. For his crime spree, Burns received 27 years.
Eddie Burns Sentenced to 27 Years for Six-Month Violent Robbery Spree
Scott Camuso
Crimes: Aggravated robbery, aggravated murder, and aggravated burglary
Age at time of crimes: 17 years, 11 months, and 8 days
County: Mahoning
Inmate number: A301238
Original sentence: 45 years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: August 2026
Camuso, along with two other young men, broke into 72-year-old Rose Bertollini’s home and stole valuables. The burglars then decided to wait for Rose and her husband to come home to obtain credit card codes from them. After Rose came home, Camuso hit her on the head with a baseball bat. When she moaned, he struck her several more times with the bat. Rose died from her injuries soon afterward. Camuso was given 30 years to life for murder, plus additional time for robbery, burglary, and escape. SB 256 gave Rose’s killer a parole hearing in February 2022. He will have another parole hearing in August 2026.
More Information
State v. Camuso, No.94-C.A.-219 (Ohio Ct. App. Oct. 26, 1999)
State v. Gessner, 2013-Ohio-3999
Clarence Coleman
Crimes: Aggravated murder (2 counts) and aggravated robbery (4 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Hamilton
Inmate number: A235238
Original sentence: 80 years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: August 2026
In 1990, Clarence Coleman, 16, murdered two people during a violent crime spree. He first robbed and murdered Peyton Evans, beating him in the head with a baseball bat with enough force to break the bat. The next day, Coleman brought two friends to where he had murdered Peyton. He pointed out the fresh bloodstain on the concrete and bragged that this was “where he knocked the mother-f***** out.” Later that evening, Coleman attacked Moisey Shtrom and his wife Eugenia as they left a ballet. Coleman smashed a brick into Moisey’s head at least two times. Moisey would later die from the attack. As Coleman and his fellow robber fled from the scene, they ran into someone they knew and Coleman bragged that “We just knocked this white mother-f***** off.” In the following days, Coleman continued bragging about the murders and laughing about efforts to locate him.
Coleman described himself as a ruthless person who is angry with the world and on a “mission” to “whop on anybody that talk[ed] back” to him. It turns out that he attacked the Shtroms because Eugenia had looked at him after he had bumped into her. Coleman was sentenced to 80 years to life. SB 256 gave him a parole hearing in 2021. He will again be up for parole in August 2026.
More Information
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Robert Daniel
Crimes: Aggravated murder, complicity in aggravated murder, theft, tampering with evidence, and obstruction of justice
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Fairfield
Inmate number: A309889
Original sentence: 49 ½ years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: July 2024
In 1994, Robert Daniel murdered Abby Worrell and Jamie Kelly, both 16. Daniel was trying to move up a level in his gang, which required killing someone. He shot both girls. Jamie was killed instantly while Abby lingered. Daniel dumped Abby in a deserted barn and stabbed her. He then retrieved Jamie’s body and dumped her in the same barn. When Daniel found that Abby was still moaning, he threw a concrete block on her head to kill her. Daniel later decided to burn Abby and Jamie’s bodies. Because of SB 256, he is up for parole in July 2024.
More Information
Clinton Dickens
Crimes: Aggravated robbery (2 counts), rape (4 counts), felonious assault, kidnapping (2 counts), and aggravated murder (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 17 years and 6 months
County: Summit
Inmate number: A194478
Original sentence: 95 years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: November 2026
In 1986, Clinton Dickens, 17-and-a-half, and Richard Cooey, 19, brutally murdered Dawn McCreery, 20, and Wendy Offredo, 21. The University of Akron sorority sisters had finished their waitressing shifts and were driving to an inn. Their car was struck by a large concrete chunk thrown by Dickens. Dickens and Cooey had been throwing objects off of an overpass for fun.
Cooey and Dickens drove Wendy and Dawn to a mall where Wendy called her mother on a payphone. At the mall, Dickens noticed money in Wendy’s purse and suggested to Cooey that they rob the women. It was the beginning of a night of terror.
Cooey and Dickens left the mall with Wendy and Dawn. But instead of taking the girls to Wendy’s car, the men robbed and kidnapped them. The kidnappers took the women to an isolated wooded area in Norton where they raped them. During the rapes, Cooey told Dickens, “Hey, Clint, put on the Bad Company tape.” Because the women knew Dickens’ first name, Dickens decided to murder them. He informed Cooey of this plan and Cooey agreed. Dickens and Cooey beat the girls with a nightstick and strangled them with shoelaces. Dickens received 95 years to life in prison. Cooey was executed. Because of SB 256, Dickens came up for parole in January 2022. He was denied and will again come up for parole in November 2026.
More Information
CLINTON E DICKENS ODRC profile
Family of murdered woman shocked to learn killer up for parole
State v. Cooey, 46 Ohio St. 3d 20, 544 N.E.2d 895 (Ohio 1989)
Michael Fay
Crimes: Aggravated murder (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 17 years and 9 months
County: Putnam
Inmate number: A695659
Original sentence: 60 years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: March 2043
On May 9, 2013, exactly three months before his 18th birthday, Michael Fay murdered brothers Blake and Blaine Romes, ages 17 and 14, respectively. He waited until a train went by and blew its whistle and then shot Blaine in the head, killing him instantly. He then shot Blake, and, when that murder method failed, beat and strangled him, damaging every layer of tissue in his neck and breaking every bone. Fay then dumped the dead boys’ bodies in a ditch and fled.
More Information
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Travis Fischer
Crimes: Aggravated murder, rape, aggravated burglary, theft, and arson
Age at time of crimes: 17 years and 9 months
County: Morgan
Inmate number: A617689
Original sentence: 33 years to life
New sentence: 28 years to life
Parole hearing date: April 2037
In 2009, Travis Fischer, 17, raped and murdered Abi Matthews, even though she had treated him like a son. He first used a baseball bat to bash her head in. Then he raped the 35-year-old mother of three before stealing her car and burning it. Fischer’s new sentence is life with parole eligibility after 28 years (25 years to life plus three years for possessing a deadly weapon while under detention).
More Information
TRAVIS LEE FISCHER ODRC profile
Morgan county man gets life for death
Morgan County 17-year-old charged with murder
Robert Harwell
Crimes: Aggravated murder, rape, and aggravated burglary
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Lucas
Inmate number: A401885
Original sentence: 53 years to life
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: November 2022
Robert Harwell, 16, brutally raped and murdered 62-year-old JoAnn Harris. Harwell had been chasing JoAnn’s neighbor with a knife. He attacked JoAnn after she stepped outside to investigate the dispute. Harwell broke into JoAnn’s home, raped her, and shot her under each eye. The rapist-murderer was originally sentenced to life without parole plus 23 years. He was later re-sentenced to 53 years to life. His sentence was again changed by SB 256, which entitles him to parole eligibility in November 2022 and every five years thereafter.
Reinstatement of life term sought for woman’s killer
Harwell sentenced to life for East Toledo murder
Shannon Kidd
Crimes: Attempted unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempted RSP, RSP (2 counts), aggravated robbery (2 counts), kidnapping (2 counts), abuse of a corpse, carrying a concealed weapon, rape (2 counts), and aggravated murder
Age at time of crimes: 17 years and 6 months
County: Cuyahoga
Inmate number: A324990
Original sentence: 40 years to life
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: November 2026
In 1996, Shannon Kidd, aged 17 years and six months, kidnapped Mary Jo Pesho outside the old Parmatown Mall and raped and murdered her. For murdering the 46-year-old mother, Kidd was sentenced to 40 years to life. Because of SB 256, Kidd came up for parole in January 2022. He was denied and will again be eligible for parole in November 2026.
Convicted killer pushes for shorter sentence in murder of Mary Jo Pesho
I-TEAM: Mary Jo Pesho killer tries to appeal for new sentence, gets denied
Jacob Larosa
Crimes: Aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, and attempted rape
Age at time of crimes: 15
County: Trumbull
Inmate number: A753938
Original sentence: Life without parole plus 31 years
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: February 2040
In 2015, Jacob Larosa invaded 94-year-old Marie Belcastro’s Niles home, attempted to rape her, and beat her to death with a heavy metal flashlight. Larosa beat Marie severely — he shattered her hearing aid, made her eyes rupture, and crushed bones in her face and skull. The medical examiner for Trumbull County testified that Marie — who was approximately 4 feet, 7 to 8 inches tall, and weighed around 80–85 pounds when she died — was so badly injured that he could not tell how many times Larosa had struck her. Marie’s brain matter and skull fragments were embedded into the walls of her home. Her blood went through her bedroom’s hardwood floors to the basement walls and appliances. It was Marie’s daughter who found her half-naked, severely beaten body. Larosa repeatedly bragged to other inmates about the murder. He told them about how he could see Marie’s brains and said he was “saving her for later.”
Larosa is classified as a Tier III sex offender which carries the most stringent lifetime reporting requirements. Before fatally bludgeoning Marie, he had a long criminal history.
State v. LaRosa, 2020 Ohio 160 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020)
New OH law opens up parole for juvenile murderers
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Families of crime victims rally against Ohio law allowing parole for some young convicts
Juvenile offenders avoid life in prison
Eric Long
Crimes: Felonious assault (3 counts), discharging a firearm into a habitation/school safety zone, aggravated murder (2 counts), weapon under disability (2 counts), carrying a concealed weapon, and assault
Age at time of crimes: 17 years and 9 months
County: Hamilton
Inmate number: A647639
Original sentence: Life without parole plus 19 years
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: April 2039
Long and his two co-defendants, Fonta Whipple and Jashawn Clark, got into an argument with Keith Cobb and Scott Neblett at the Garage Bar & Grill in Sharonville. After Keith and Scott left the bar, Long and his fellow assailants followed them. On Interstate 75, Long, Whipple, and Clark emptied their guns into the victims’ car, causing it to crash. Before murdering Scott and Keith, Long had 35 criminal cases in juvenile court. The career offender was sentenced to consecutive terms of life imprisonment without parole for the aggravated murder counts plus 19 years on the other counts and specifications. But SB 256 slashed his sentence.
State v. Long, 138 Ohio St.3d 478, 2014-Ohio-849
Ohio Supreme Court: Reconsider juvenile murder sentence
UPDATE: Teen arrested for deadly highway shooting
Mincey Meece
Crimes: Aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, and aggravated robbery
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Hamilton
Inmate number: W038159
Original sentence: 40 years to life
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing dates: November 2021 and March 2022 — Granted parole
In 1995, Mincey Meece, 16, and Therisa Frasure plotted to rob and murder 86-year-old Stella Ellison to fund a trip to Nashville. In Nashville, they planned to use hostages to meet country singer Reba McEntire. After meeting McEntire, Frasure wanted to murder some of the hostages and then commit suicide. The two women — armed with knives with which they intended to rob and murder Stella — went to Stella’s apartment and asked for money. When Stella had no money to give them, they shoved her to a couch and Meece used a clock to bash her head in to knock her out. When Stella remained conscious after two bashes to the head, Meece forced a pillow against her face and pressed with all her weight to smother her.
The Ohio Parole Board voted 5–4 to grant parole to Stella’s murderer. Meece was released in May 2022.
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Woman who murdered local grandmother gets parole hearing a decade early
Woman convicted of murder as a teen in Elmwood Place granted parole under new law
Teen who murdered 86-year-old woman in ’95 granted parole
Tyler Miller
Crimes: Aggravated murder
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Wood
Inmate number: A776133
Original sentence: Life without parole
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: April 2045
Tyler Miller was upset with Amonie Ervin because Amonie had allegedly “shorted him” twice with marijuana. Miller set up a fake marijuana transaction with Amonie. Instead of selling Miller marijuana, Amonie suffered a violent death. Miller took a knife to the fake meeting and used it to fatally stab Amonie. Amonie suffered 20 to 25 stab and incised wounds in the head, face, neck, chest, arms, and hands. He was able to exit the vehicle he had been stabbed in and collapse in the driveway. Miller later admitted to stabbing Amonie at least five times in the chest and abdomen. Prior to the murder, Miller had a deviant history. He desired to become a serial killer. He also killed animals and ate their eyes and hearts. During hearings and incarceration, Miller frequently threatened to kill witnesses, inmates, and staff. He also openly expressed that he “has no idea why it is wrong to kill someone.”
16-year-old gets life sentence for 2019 Perrysburg murder
Maynard Nuckols Jr.
Crimes: Gross sexual imposition, felonious assault, kidnapping, and retaliation (3 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 16–17
County: Wayne
Inmate number: A343756
Original sentence: 35 years
Parole hearing date: October 2026
In 1997, Nuckols, 16, sexually assaulted a nine-year-old boy in a Gault Recreation Center restroom. In January 1998, Nuckols — then 17 years and five months old — began threatening the victim’s family. Nuckols was sentenced to 23 years for the sexual assault plus 12 years for retaliation. Because of SB 256, he was up for parole in December 2021 and (after being denied) will again be up for parole in October 2026.
MAYNARD NUCKOLS JR ODRC profile
Threats To Boy And Family Get Nuckols 12 More Years
Brogan Rafferty
Crimes: Aggravated murder (3 counts), attempted aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Summit
Inmate number: A633123
Original sentence: Life without parole
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: November 2036
In 2011, Brogan Rafferty, 16, and his co-defendant “Craigslist Killer” Richard Beasley murdered three men and attempted to murder one other man. The serial killers targeted men who needed work. They lured their victims with fake job offers on Craigslist and shot them in their heads. The motivation was robbery.
Timeline
2011
Early August: Ralph Geiger disappears after leaving for a job on a farm in southern Ohio.
October 9: David Pauley responds to a Craigslist ad for a job as a farm caretaker. Scott Davis, a self-employed landscaper in South Carolina who wants to move back to Ohio, also responds to a Craigslist ad for a job on a cattle farm.
October 10: Timothy Kern responds to a Craigslist ad for a farm caretaker job.
October 22: David speaks with his sister for the last time.
November 6: Scott meets up with Rafferty and Beasley at a restaurant. The serial killers lure Scott to the woods and attempt to murder him. Scott survives with a gunshot wound to the elbow.
November 9: Timothy has what he believes is a job interview.
November 13: Timothy leaves for what he believes is a new job.
November 15: Investigators find David’s mostly naked body in a shallow grave. He had been killed by a single gunshot to the head.
November 16: Brogan Rafferty is arrested.
November 25: Ralph’s naked body is found in a shallow grave. Timothy’s body is found in a shallow pit in a wooded area near a vacant mall. Ralph had been killed by a single gunshot to the head while Timothy suffered five gunshot wounds to the head.
2012
October 30: Rafferty is convicted by a jury.
November 9: Rafferty is sentenced to life without parole.
2021
April 12: SB 256 goes into effect and retroactively makes Rafferty eligible for parole.
BROGAN W RAFFERTY ODRC profile
These prisoners committed serious crimes as kids. A new state law could set them free
‘They Were Candidates For Death’: ‘Craigslist Killer’ Lured Men With Bogus Job Ad Then Shot Them
Gavon Ramsay
Crimes: Aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, kidnapping, and abuse of a corpse
Age at time of crimes: 17
County: Medina
Inmate number: A760295
Original sentence: Life without parole plus 21 years
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: February 2043
In 2018, Gavon Ramsay, 17, invaded 98-year-old Margaret Douglas’s Wadsworth home, filmed her as she slept, and strangled her to death. Ramsay, a diagnosed sexual sadist, then undressed Margaret’s dead body and sexually assaulted it for over two hours. He placed Margaret’s body in sexual positions for pictures and videos and he used her dead hand to masturbate. Finally, Ramsay shoved Margaret’s body into a 1.5ft by 2.5ft closet where her nephew and his wife later found her.
Ramsay saved pictures of the post-mortem sexual assault on his phone in a secret file called “Dark.” The password for the file was “Murder.” Ramsay’s notebook contained serial killer biographies and plans to kill people he knew. Ramsay had been fantasizing about raping and murdering people for months and he wanted to kill someone to see how it would feel.
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State v. Ramsay, 2021-Ohio-2870
Juan Ruiz
Crimes: Rape, attempted aggravated murder, weapon under disability, and retaliation
Age at time of crimes: 17
County: Cuyahoga
Inmate number: A533728
Original sentence: 27 years without parole
New sentence: 18 to 27 years
Parole hearing date: December 2024
In 2007, Juan Ruiz, 17, invaded his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom, held her at knife-point, threatened her family’s safety, and raped her. The victim reported the rape and Ruiz was arrested before being released under court supervision. He retaliated against the victim for reporting the rape by shooting her in the face with a sawed-off shotgun and attempting to murder her. The victim suffered severe, permanent injuries. Ruiz, who is classified as a sexually oriented offender, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 27 years without parole. Because of SB 256, he is up for parole in December 2024.
Johanna Orozco’s ex-boyfriend sentenced for attacks
Devonere Simmonds
Crimes: Aggravated robbery (2 counts), aggravated murder, attempted murder (2 counts), weapon under disability, and murder
Age at time of crimes: 17
County: Franklin
Inmate number: A717277
Original sentence: Life without parole plus 48 years
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: June 2043
In 2013, Devonere Simmonds, 17, went on a massive violent crime spree involving robbery, carjacking, attempted murder, and murder. Simmonds murdered two people, including store clerk Imran Ashgar. Simmonds shot Imran in the eye, left, and then returned to shoot him in the head. He also shot and attempted to murder two other people. One of the attempted murder victims was Joe Rudd. As Joe returned from a truck stop to his vehicle, he felt a tap on the back of his head. He turned around and realized what was against his head — a gun. Simmonds shot Joe in the jaw. As Joe lay on the ground, he saw Simmonds looking down at him, pointing the gun at his head. Simmonds demanded Joe’s car keys. Joe threw the keys and managed to run back inside. Joe’s jaw had to be replaced with his floating rib and he spent nearly a month at Grant Medical Center.
DEVONERE SIMMONDS ODRC profile
Man pleads guilty to a second murder from 2013 spree
Billy Wayne Smith
Crimes: Murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and aggravated murder
Age at time of crimes: 17 years and 10 months
County: Jefferson
Inmate number: A216211
Original sentence: 59 years to life
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: November 2026
On November 16, 1987, Billy Wayne Smith, aged 17 years and 10 months, kidnapped, robbed, tortured, and murdered Kevin Burks, 25. Smith and several others went on a hunt for a specific black man. When they failed to find him, they targeted Kevin. The assailants told Kevin that a friend was in need and lured him to a remote Brush Creek Township location. They proceeded to torture, stab, and shoot Kevin and slit his throat. Smith was sentenced to life with parole eligibility after 59 years. His parole date was set for 2051. However, because of SB 256, the murderer had a parole hearing in April 2022. His next parole hearing is in November 2026.
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DeMarcus Smith and Laura Taylor
DeMarcus Smith
Crimes: Aggravated robbery (5 counts), aggravated murder (4 counts), felonious assault, burglary, attempted aggravated murder (2 counts), and kidnapping (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 17
County: Montgomery
Inmate number: A288043
Original sentence: 186 years to life
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: November 2025
Laura Taylor
Crimes: Aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery (4 counts), aggravated murder (2 counts), burglary, murder, and attempted aggravated murder (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 16
County: Montgomery
Inmate number: W033039
Original sentence: 133 years to life
New sentence: 30 years to life
Parole hearing date: October 2026
During the Christmas season of 1992, Laura Taylor, 16, DeMarcus Smith, 17, Marvallous Keene, 19, and Heather Matthews, 20, went on a crime rampage that left six people dead and two others injured. The motive of the so-called “Downtown Posse” was joy.
On December 24, Taylor shot Joseph Wilkerson in the head after Keene had shot him in the heart. And she and Smith participated in the robbery and murder of Danita Gullette, 18. Also on December 24, Smith shot Matthews’ ex-boyfriend four times in the legs. On December 25, Taylor lured Richmond Maddox and shot him in the right temple, murdering him. On December 26, the gang robbed a store, murdering counterwoman Sarah Abraham. Smith shot a customer and witness in the hand and stomach. Smith also shot at another customer but missed. Finally, the gang decided to murder Marvin Washington, 19, and Wendy Cottrill, 16, as they had witnessed the shooting of Matthews’ ex-boyfriend and the gang believed they would snitch. Smith and Keene shot them to death execution-style.
Keene was executed. Taylor and Smith were sentenced to 133 years to life and 186 years to life, respectively. Senate Bill 256 has slashed Taylor and Smith’s sentences, making Taylor eligible for parole after 30 years and Smith eligible for parole after 25 years. Taylor’s parole hearing occurred in March 2022. She was denied and another is scheduled for October 2026. Keene’s is in November 2025.
LAURA JEANNE TAYLOR ODRC profile
27 years after Christmas murder spree: ‘It will never be forgotten’
Random spree of Christmas ‘joy killings’ still haunts victims’ families nearly 30 years later
The Christmas Killings: Dayton’s worst crime spree
The Devils of Dayton: Killed just for the fun of it
Parole hearing possible for woman convicted in Dayton Christmas killings
1992 Dayton Christmas killings: Laura Taylor to have parole hearing
Jemmie Whisenant
Crimes: Aggravated murder (2 counts)
Age at time of crimes: 15
County: Portage
Inmate number: A311430
Original sentence: 30 years to life
New sentence: 25 years to life
Parole hearing date: January 2025
In 1995, Jemmie Whisenant decided to kill Nevada Davis, his father’s live-in girlfriend, with whom he had interpersonal problems. He crept up behind Nevada and attacked her with a knife. Whisenant forced her into the bathroom and ordered her to lean over the bathtub so that her blood could wash down the drain. For the next two hours, Whisenant repeatedly cut Nevada with the knife, all while she begged for her life. During the period in which he tortured Nevada, he called several friends on the phone “just to talk.” When Nevada survived the knife wounds, Whinsenant tried to suffocate her. But that didn’t work either. So he strangled Nevada to death with shoestrings. He then dragged Nevada’s body outside, took items from her purse, and scattered her groceries on the sidewalk to stage a theft-murder. His parole hearing was held in March 2022. Another one is scheduled for January 2025.
711 N.E.2d 1016 (Ohio App. 11 Dist. 1998), 95-P-0112, State v. Whisenant
