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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 2, 2010 18:57:00 GMT -5
Governor's Statement Regarding Clemency Application of Kevin Keith Governor Ted Strickland today issued the following statement regarding the pending clemency application of Kevin Keith: "Kevin Keith was convicted, by a jury, of callously murdering three people-including a four-year old child-and shooting three others, including two young children. Since the time of his arrest more than 16 years ago, Mr. Keith has maintained his innocence, insisting that someone else committed the murders. "Mr. Keith's conviction has been repeatedly reviewed and upheld by Ohio and federal courts at the trial and appellate level. The Ohio Parole Board recommended against clemency in this case. There is evidence which links him to the crimes that, while circumstantial, is not otherwise well explained. It is my view, after a thorough review of the information and evidence available to me at this time, that it is far more likely that Mr. Keith committed these murders than it is likely that he did not. "Yet, despite the evidence supporting his guilt and the substantial legal review of Mr. Keith's conviction, many legitimate questions have been raised regarding the evidence in support of the conviction and the investigation which led to it. In particular, Mr. Keith's conviction relied upon the linking of certain eyewitness testimony with certain forensic evidence about which important questions have been raised. I also find the absence of a full investigation of other credible suspects troubling. "Clearly, the careful exercise of a governor's executive clemency authority is appropriate in a case like this one, given the real and unanswered questions surrounding the murders for which Mr. Keith was convicted. Mr. Keith still has appellate legal proceedings pending which, in theory, could ultimately result in his conviction being overturned altogether. But the pending legal proceedings may never result in a full reexamination of his case, including an investigation of alternate suspects, by law enforcement authorities and/or the courts. That would be unfortunate--this case is clearly one in which a full, fair analysis of all of the unanswered questions should be considered by a court. Under these circumstances, I cannot allow Mr. Keith to be executed. I have decided, at this time, to commute Mr. Keith's sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Should further evidence justify my doing so, I am prepared to review this matter again for possible further action." governor.ohio.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=1778 |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 2, 2010 21:44:48 GMT -5
Ohio’s Governor Spares Life of a Death Row Inmate Governor Ted Strickland has spared the life of Kevin Keith, the Crestline man who was scheduled to be executed Sept. 15 for the murder of three people in Bucyrus in 1994. Here is the statement issued by Strickland this afternoon: “Kevin Keith was convicted, by a jury, of callously murdering three people -- including a four-year old child -- and shooting three others, including two young children. Since the time of his arrest more than 16 years ago, Mr. Keith has maintained his innocence, insisting that someone else committed the murders. “Mr. Keith’s conviction has been repeatedly reviewed and upheld by Ohio and federal courts at the trial and appellate level. The Ohio Parole Board recommended against clemency in this case. There is evidence which links him to the crimes that, while circumstantial, is not otherwise well explained. It is my view, after a thorough review of the information and evidence available to me at this time, that it is far more likely that Mr. Keith committed these murders than it is likely that he did not. “Yet, despite the evidence supporting his guilt and the substantial legal review of Mr. Keith’s conviction, many legitimate questions have been raised regarding the evidence in support of the conviction and the investigation which led to it. In particular, Mr. Keith’s conviction relied upon the linking of certain eyewitness testimony with certain forensic evidence about which important questions have been raised. I also find the absence of a full investigation of other credible suspects troubling. “Clearly, the careful exercise of a governor’s executive clemency authority is appropriate in a case like this one, given the real and unanswered questions surrounding the murders for which Mr. Keith was convicted. Mr. Keith still has appellate legal proceedings pending which, in theory, could ultimately result in his conviction being overturned altogether. But the pending legal proceedings may never result in a full reexamination of his case, including an investigation of alternate suspects, by law enforcement authorities and/or the courts. That would be unfortunate – this case is clearly one in which a full, fair analysis of all of the unanswered questions should be considered by a court. Under these circumstances, I cannot allow Mr. Keith to be executed. I have decided, at this time, to commute Mr. Keith’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Should further evidence justify my doing so, I am prepared to review this matter again for possible further action.” More;www.marionstar.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/100902007/Kevin-Keith-sentence-commuted-to-life-without-parole |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 2, 2010 21:51:51 GMT -5
Convicted killer claiming innocence is spared death penalty in Ohio An Ohio death row inmate who has repeatedly claimed his innocence was spared execution, after the state's governor Thursday noted "legitimate questions" about evidence used to convict the man. Kevin Keith for now will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole. His legal appeals will continue, with lawyers claiming newly discovered evidence and discredited eyewitness testimony will ultimately exonerate him. Keith was convicted of the 1994 killings of three females, including a child, in an apartment in Bucyrus, 60 miles north of Columbus. He was scheduled to die by lethal injection September 15, and had exhausted most of his federal and state court appeals. Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, issued his commutation this week after a number of civil liberties and innocence groups urged he step in to prevent a possibly innocent man from being executed by the state. "Clearly, the careful exercise of a governor's executive clemency authority is appropriate in a case like this one, given the real and unanswered questions surrounding the murders for which Mr. Keith was convicted," said Strickland in a statement. "Mr. Keith still has appellate legal proceedings pending which, in theory, could ultimately result in his conviction being overturned altogether. The governor added, however, that he believes "it is far more likely that Mr. Keith committed these murders than it is likely that he did not." Strickland urged the courts to give a "full, fair analysis" of the issues raised in the appeal. He ignored the recommendations of the state's parole board, which last month unanimously recommended against clemency. Keith's lawyers applauded the governor's decision, but promised to continue the fight to clear the inmate. "Mr. Keith remains incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, and that crime remains unsolved," said a statement from his five-person legal team. "The commutation to a life sentence does not lessen the need for justice to prevail." Prosecutors said the 46-year-old Keith had maliciously sprayed a home with gunfire, that left a 4-year-old dead, along with her mother and aunt. Three others were wounded but survived, including a man who later testified against the main suspect. At trial, the state argued one of the victims was the brother of an undercover police informant who had implicated Keith as a drug dealer. But Keith's public defenders point to at least one other suspect, and say a detective in the case lied on the stand about how a survivor of the shooting identified Keith. His defense team also later presented alibi witnesses. Calls to the Crawford County prosecuting attorney's office were not immediately returned. The issue of "actual innocence" and the rights of prisoners to challenge their sentences years after a trial will be argued next month at the U.S. Supreme Court. A Texas death row inmate wants DNA testing from evidence that had not been analyzed at the time of his trial, to try to prove he did not commit the crime. The Innocence Project, a New York-based legal clinic said 258 people have been exonerated through DNA testing and new evidence being uncovered, with their convictions being tossed out. Many defense attorneys have urged the courts to make it easier for inmates-- especially those facing execution-- to go to court to press for a new look at these innocence claims, including more sophisticated DNA testing of old evidence. "It's a win-win for the justice system. If he turns out to be guilty, we have the certainty of that fact with objective DNA science prior to the time that we carry out the ultimate punishment," said Nina Morrison, a staff attorney with the Innocence Project. "And if he's not guilty, obviously that's something that we, and surely the state, would want to know prior to the time that an irrevocable penalty of execution is carried out. " www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/02/ohio.death.penalty.lifted/ |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 3, 2010 10:27:50 GMT -5
Victims' family outraged by Kevin Keith clemency Damon Chatman's anger could not be contained Thursday night. Chatman's emotional response reflected that of his entire family upon hearing the news that Gov. Ted Strickland had commuted triple murderer Kevin Keith's sentence from death to life in prison. Keith was convicted of murdering Damon's sister, Marichell Chatman, her 4-year-old daughter Marchae and aunt, Linda Chatman. "My sister, my 4-year-old niece, my aunt, we have to go to the cemetery to visit them, but Kevin can sit in prison, laugh, make jokes and visit with his family. My people aren't living," Chatman said. "Quanita and Quentin have to deal with this every day," he said as he spoke of his cousins, Quentin and Quanita Reeves, who were shot by Keith along with Rick Warren, Marichell's boyfriend. All three survived the attack on Feb. 13, 1994. The two children, now adults, offered testimony last month opposing Keith's appeal at a clemency hearing. Their account of that evening moved the panel to a unanimous 8-0 vote opposing clemency. Strickland took the opposing view. "This decision just shows the governor's ignorance," Damon Chatman said. "Kevin Keith should die for what he did." Just a few hours after learning of the decision, Quanita sat with her mom, Joyce, for support. "My family has no comment," she said in a shaky voice. Quanita was 6 at the time she says Keith shot her. Damon Chatman's wife, Mindy, said Quanita was incensed by the governor's decision. "She feels like she is being called a liar. Her dad was friends with Kevin. She knew him, knew his face. She knows he shot her," Mindy said. Mindy Chatman, 34, who has been in a relationship with Damon since the age of 15 and was close friends with Marichell and Linda Chatman, said the governor's decision is a slap in the face to the Chatman family. "For 16 years this case has been through all the necessary channels and they all upheld the verdict. We want a meeting with the governor because we want to know why, after a parole board unanimously denied Kevin's clemency, that he would commute his sentence," Mindy Chatman said. "We want him to explain it to us. I have called his office and left several messages and so have other family members. "This is totally unfair to us, and we want answers." Mindy said she is tired of Keith's attorneys accusing Rodney Melton of the murders. "Yes, Rodney was a thief and yes, Rodney (killed) someone in self-defense at the age of 15, but he is part of our family, we see him every day. Quanita and Quentin see him all the time. They would be petrified of him if he were the one who shot them," Mindy said. Kevin Keith's brother, Charles, said he is in search of the truth that will set his brother free. "The truth will come out for the Chatman and Keith families. We will continue to seek the truth for Kevin, who has not had his day in court. We are elated with the governor's decision, but this is only one obstacle we had to overcome but the battle for justice will continue on," Charles said from his Canton home. Charles has been trying for 14 years to get his brother a new trial. "I have been trying so hard to get someone to hear it. There is just not a lot of ears out there who want to. My brother is innocent. I, for so long, thought I was the only one fighting for him, but then the public defender's office took his case and the Ohio Innocence Project," Charles Keith said. "There are people across the nation supporting Kevin in his innocence, and I am thankful for that. It's nice to know I am not alone." Mindy Chatman understands Charles Keith's cause. "If it were my brother, I would have a hard time believing he committed such a horrible crime, but I think Charles just does not want to believe what the truth is," Mindy said. Marichell's cousin, Tacsha Ridgeway, said her family will never find closure. "This is so unfair to our family. My grandmother had to bury three generations of her family in one day, her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter. No one should have to endure that much pain and yet Kevin Keith still breathes," Ridgeway said. More;www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100903/NEWS01/9030308Then there is this blog post in response;Ohio: Poor Clemency Reporting. Great Emotional Exploitation www.pardonpower.com/2010/09/ohio-poor-clemency-reporting-great.html |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 3, 2010 10:32:56 GMT -5
Timeline outlines murder case 1994 - Feb. 13: A black man wearing dark clothing enters a Bucyrus Estates residence at 1712 Marion Road, Apt. B, around 9 p.m., socializes with the residents and then begins firing a 9mm handgun. Marichele Chatman, 39; Marchae Chatman, 4; and Linda Chatman, 39, are killed. Richard Warren, 23; Quanita Reeves, 7; and her brother, Quenton Reeves, 4, are hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds. - Feb. 15: Bucyrus police arrest Kevin A. Keith, 30, and charge him with three counts of aggravated murder and three counts of attempted aggravated murder. - May 11: An all-white jury is empaneled, seven women and five men. There are no minorities among a pool of about 60 prospective jurors who appeared in court. - May 26: After 11 hours of deliberations, Keith is found guilty on all charges. - May 31: Crawford County Common Pleas Judge Nelfred Kimerline sentences Keith to death, following the recommendation of the jury, which deliberated for three hours in the penalty phase. The death sentence is set for Feb. 13, 1995. 1995 - Jan. 23: The Third District Court of Appeals orders a stay of execution pending exhaustion of direct appeals. - April 5: The 3rd District Court of Appeals files a 56-page opinion upholding the verdict. 1997 - Oct. 1: The Ohio Supreme Court upholds the conviction and death sentence. Keith’s attorney vows to keep fighting. “I’m confident this case will be reversed, if not in state court, then in federal court,” said Harry Reinhart, a Columbus attorney. - Nov. 18: Charles Keith reports his brother has begun a hunger strike at Mansfield Correctional Institution. Meanwhile, the Ohio Supreme Court issued another stay on Keith’s execution while his attorneys continue to appeal his conviction. 2007 - Aug. 2: Attorneys from the Ohio Public Defender’s Office file a motion requesting a new trial based on new evidence. The motion alleges at least three officers, including former police chief Joe Beran, former Capt. Mike Corwin and former Capt. John Stanley, lied in the case in which they “pinned the crime on the wrong man.” The motion names another person who allegedly told a confidential informant in late January 1994 that he was paid $15,000 to cripple the man responsible for the drug raids in Crestline the previous week. 2008 - July 2: Visiting judge Thomas Patrick Curran, formerly of the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, denies Keith’s motion for a new trial and an evidentiary hearing. The visiting judge is appointed because Judge Russ Wiseman recused himself due to his involvement in the original trial. 2009 - Dec. 2: The Ohio Supreme Court rejects Keith’s appeal. It provides no comment on its ruling. Keith has now exhausted his state and federal appeals, and prosecutors have asked the Ohio Supreme Court to set an execution date. 2010 - Feb. 2: The Ohio Supreme Court sets Sept. 15 as Keith’s execution date. - June 1: The U.S. Supreme Court announces it will not review Keith’s case. - Aug. 19: In a unanimous decision, the clemency panel recommends denial of clemency to Kevin Keith. - Sept. 2: Gov. Ted Strickland grants clemency to Kevin Keith. — Compiled by Larry Phillips More;www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/100902011/1002/NEWS01 |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 3, 2010 20:26:49 GMT -5
Strickland makes justifiable exception Repository Editorial Reasonable people can disagree, but the people in charge of the criminal justice system in Ohio usually don’t disagree when it comes to juries’ verdicts and sentences in death-penalty cases. A justifiable exception occurred Thursday. Courts usually uphold convictions and death sentences. The Ohio Parole Board usually echoes the courts. And the governor usually abides by the parole board’s recommendations. Not Thursday, when Gov. Ted Strickland commuted the death sentence for Kevin Keith, formerly of Canton. Keith was convicted in Crawford County of shooting three people to death in 1994. Last month, a judge had rejected Keith’s bid for a new trial, and the parole board had unanimously opposed his request for clemency. He was scheduled to die by lethal injection on Sept. 15. But Strickland had hinted in August at his eventual decision when he called the case “troubling.” On Thursday, when he commuted Keith’s sentence to life in prison without parole, he said that “many legitimate questions have been raised regarding the evidence in support of the conviction and the investigation which led to it.” Strickland also said he believes it is “far more likely” that Keith is guilty than that he is innocent. But enough doubt existed to cause him to spare Keith’s life. Ohioans should expect this careful a consideration of all capital punishment cases by the man who has the ultimate power of life or death. In cases where he is nagged by doubt, even though they may be cases in which Ohioans thirst for resolution in the death chamber at Lucasville, the governor’s change of heart should be welcome. More;www.cantonrep.com/opinion/editorials/x861578703/Strickland-makes-justifiable-exception |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 3, 2010 23:17:11 GMT -5
Clemency overrides unanimous parole board decision A condemned inmate had his life spared Thursday when Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland cited "legitimate questions" about evidence used to convict the inmate, even though the governor believes the prisoner committed the crimes. Strickland questioned some of the eyewitness testimony against Kevin Keith, who was scheduled to die Sept. 15, and says he's bothered that other possible suspects weren't fully investigated. Strickland said Keith has appeals available that could lead to a full re-examination of the crime, but he also acknowledged that might not happen. Strickland said that despite evidence supporting Keith's guilt, "many legitimate questions have been raised regarding the evidence in support of the conviction and the investigation which led to it." The "case is clearly one in which a full, fair analysis of all of the unanswered questions should be considered by a court," Strickland said. "Under these circumstances, I cannot allow Mr. Keith to be executed." The move by the Democratic governor overrides last month's decision from his parole board, which unanimously recommended against clemency. Strickland also overrode the parole board in 2008, when he commuted the death sentence of another inmate who claimed innocence. Strickland made it clear he believes Keith is likely guilty of the 1994 slayings in Bucyrus. "There is evidence which links him to the crimes that, while circumstantial, is not otherwise well explained," Strickland said. Police say Keith entered an apartment in Bucyrus on the evening of Feb. 13, 1994, and sprayed it with gunfire, killing Marichell Chatman, 24; her 4-year-old daughter, Marchae; and the Marichell's aunt, Linda Chatman, 39. Three others were wounded, including siblings Quanita Reeves, 7, and Quentin Reeves, 4. Marichell Chatman was the sister of an undercover police informant whose efforts led to a drug raid weeks earlier during which Keith was arrested. Keith's attorneys questioned eyewitness testimony that identified Keith as the shooter, provided evidence of an alternate suspect and lined up four alibi witnesses. Keith's attorneys welcomed the decision while noting that their client, who had requested a pardon from Strickland, still needs a new trial to prove his innocence. "The commutation to a life sentence does not lessen the need for justice to prevail," the attorneys said. A message left with prosecutors in Crawford County was not returned. Keith's brother, Charles Keith, praised the decision, but said more had to be done. "We're still in pursuit of the truth," said Charles Keith, of Canton. "Now we have to channel our energies and focus ourselves onto getting Kevin out completely." More;www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100903/NEWS01/9030311/Gov-has-reasonable-doubt-spares-life |
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Post by guest on Sept 4, 2010 21:09:29 GMT -5
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Post by guest on Sept 5, 2010 0:22:47 GMT -5
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Post by guest on Sept 5, 2010 0:24:08 GMT -5
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Post by guest on Sept 5, 2010 10:48:25 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 8, 2010 0:10:55 GMT -5
Kevin Keith leaves Death Row after 16 years His sentence commuted to life in prison, Keith Keith will move off Death Row today for the first time in 16 years. He will be relocated to Trumbull Correctional Institution in Leavittsburg, Ohio, less than 15 miles from the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown where he has been housed. Keith, 46, convicted for a triple murder in Bucyrus, was spared from execution last week by Gov. Ted Strickland. The governor said that he felt it was likely that Keith was the killer of two women and a child in a Bucyrus apartment on Feb. 13, 1994, but there are too many serious questions being raised to allow him to be executed. Strickland said he will revisit the case if is warranted based on further investigation or discovery of new evidence. In his new home, Keith will be in "general population," meaning he may have a cellmate, and will have access to meals and activities with other inmates. On Death Row at the Ohio Pen, inmates are all in single cells and are locked up 23 hours a day. More;blog.dispatch.com/dailybriefing/2010/09/kevin_keith_off_death_row_firs.shtml#morewww.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100909/NEWS01/9090309 |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 15, 2010 18:20:18 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Feb 4, 2011 12:12:13 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Feb 14, 2011 0:49:18 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Feb 16, 2011 23:25:23 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on May 18, 2011 13:33:10 GMT -5
I have heard via Facebook that Kevin has begun a hunger strike. I have not seen any news articles as yet, but here are the details at this time; "Kevin's Hunger Strike starts today - and so does ours The State of Ohio commuted Kevin Keith's death sentence to life without parole 8 months ago because, according to the governor, there were serious doubts in his case. Many people were concerned that we could be killing an innocent man, including judges and even pro-DP former Attorney General Jim Petro. More lies have been exposed since Kevin Keith's failed execution last year. The State must take this matter more seriously and must exonerate this innocent man, now. Kevin notified me of a hunger strike he is starting today. He will be isolated as a result of it." As I find out more I will post the information here and on Kevins page below; ohiodeathrow.blogspot.com/2009/05/kevin-keith.html |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Sept 15, 2011 22:26:21 GMT -5
Canton man files complaint against Bucyrus police A Canton man whose brother’s death sentence was commuted to life in prison has filed a complaint with the Ohio Inspector General’s Office. Charles Keith filed the complaint against the Bucyrus Police Department on behalf of his brother, Kevin. Kevin Keith, formerly of Canton, was convicted of a drug-related triple murder in Bucyrus in 1994. The case garnered attention from then-President Bill Clinton, who visited the city in his bid for federal funding for 100,000 additional police officers. Bucyrus Law Director Matt Crall said he wasn’t aware that a complaint had been filed. Charles Keith is accusing Bucyrus police of: “Inaccurate and misleading response to a public records request; destruction of taped phone calls; giving the press false information prior to Kevin Keith’s trial, and possible manipulation of witnesses’ accounts.” “I’ve been complaining for 20 years,” Charles Keith said. “I don’t just represent Kevin and my family. Our only claim has been innocence; not (mental retardation), not child abuse, or drugs; not any of that stuff.” More; www.cantonrep.com/news/x462628966/Canton-man-files-complaint-against-Bucyrus-police |
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Apr 1, 2013 20:19:10 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Apr 2, 2013 21:10:04 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on May 18, 2013 19:36:00 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Oct 31, 2016 13:33:41 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Nov 5, 2016 16:12:21 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Nov 13, 2016 17:25:28 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Dec 29, 2016 10:36:18 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Jan 15, 2017 11:50:45 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Jan 21, 2017 20:43:46 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Jun 11, 2017 23:23:52 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Jun 11, 2017 23:28:00 GMT -5
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Post by thinkinkmesa on Nov 14, 2017 11:06:58 GMT -5
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