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Ohio Inmate Kills Himself Days Before Execution

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Sun Aug 04, 2013 at 01:25:30 PM EST
Tags: Billy Slagle, death penalty (all tags)
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Billy Slagle has been on death row since his murder conviction in 1988. He was 18 at the time of the crime. His execution date was set for Tuesday. This morning, he was found hanged in his cell. He was in solitary confinement.

Cuyahoga County prosecutors joined Slagle's family in asking for a reprieve, urging [Gov. John]Kasich to commute his sentence to life in prison without parole -- a sentence the prosecutor's office said had not been available at the time.

Gov. Kasich denied the request on July 24.

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    Ohio Inmate Kills Himself Days Before Execution | 30 comments (30 topical)

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    I'm willing to bet that Kasich's response (5.00 / 4) (#1)
    by scribe on Sun Aug 04, 2013 at 01:36:04 PM EST
    to this will be along the lines that the inmate, Billy Slagle, committed asymmetric warfare on justice or something similar, e.g. that "he escaped justice".  No doubt there's an Ohio governor out there gnashing his teeth over being denied a kill to tout in his next campaign as evidence of his toughness on crime and a scalp to wave.

    It's a shame the crime happened, a further shame the sentence was given, and a further shame Kasich lacked the probity or good sense to give the inmate life without parole.