Post by carolinem on Mar 10, 2009 19:56:30 GMT -5
Parole Board says no clemency for Akron killer Brett Hartman
Friday, March 6, 2009 1:50 PM
By Alan Johnson
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Citing the "overwhelming evidence" against Brett Xavier Hartman,
the Ohio Parole Board today unanimously recommended against
clemency for the convicted Akron murderer.
Hartman, 34, is scheduled to be executed April 7 for the brutal
murder of Winda Snipes on Sept. 9, 1997. He has exhausted his
legal appeals and will be put to death unless Gov. Ted Strickland
spares his life by granting clemency.
The parole board voted 8-0 against clemency, saying the evidence "removes all doubt of the guilt" of Hartman.
"Despite recent DNA testing that further linked Hartman to the
crime and identified him as the killer, he continues to deny
committing the offense and displays no remorse," the board said
in a report and recommendation sent to Strickland this morning.
The board said the jury in Hartman's case had the option of
recommending life without the possibility of parole, but chose
not to because of the "aggravating factors of this crime."
Hartman met Snipes in a bar and thereafter had sex with her on
several occasions, the clemency report indicated.
The evening of her death, Hartman and Snipes argued, a passerby reported.
Later, Hartman killed Snipes by stabbing her 138 times, slitting
her throat and cutting off her hands, presumably in hopes of
eliminating evidence against him. The severed hands were never
found.
Hartman later made several anonymous 911 emergency phone calls about Snipes' murder and talked to several police officers about
the crime.
At trial and since then, Hartman denied killing Snipes even
though DNA taken from the victim pinpointed Hartman. A bloody
shirt also positively connected him to her murder.
Upon the unanimous recommendation of the parole board, Strickland last month spared the life of Jeffrey D. Hill, 44, a Hamilton County man who had been sentenced to death for killing his 62-year-old mother, Emma Hill, while he was in a cocaine-induced rage.
Relatives of the slain woman pleaded with Strickland to spare the life of her son. He honored their wishes by commuting Hill's sentence to 25 years to life, making him potentially eligible for parole in seven years.
That outcome appears unlikely this time as there is no outcry to
spare Hartman's life, except from his lawyer, mother and a
minister.
Ohio has had 28 executions since resuming capital punishment in
1999.
The full clemency report can be read at
www.drc. ohio.gov/ Public/clemency. htm
<http://www.drc. ohio.gov/ Public/clemency. htm>
Friday, March 6, 2009 1:50 PM
By Alan Johnson
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Citing the "overwhelming evidence" against Brett Xavier Hartman,
the Ohio Parole Board today unanimously recommended against
clemency for the convicted Akron murderer.
Hartman, 34, is scheduled to be executed April 7 for the brutal
murder of Winda Snipes on Sept. 9, 1997. He has exhausted his
legal appeals and will be put to death unless Gov. Ted Strickland
spares his life by granting clemency.
The parole board voted 8-0 against clemency, saying the evidence "removes all doubt of the guilt" of Hartman.
"Despite recent DNA testing that further linked Hartman to the
crime and identified him as the killer, he continues to deny
committing the offense and displays no remorse," the board said
in a report and recommendation sent to Strickland this morning.
The board said the jury in Hartman's case had the option of
recommending life without the possibility of parole, but chose
not to because of the "aggravating factors of this crime."
Hartman met Snipes in a bar and thereafter had sex with her on
several occasions, the clemency report indicated.
The evening of her death, Hartman and Snipes argued, a passerby reported.
Later, Hartman killed Snipes by stabbing her 138 times, slitting
her throat and cutting off her hands, presumably in hopes of
eliminating evidence against him. The severed hands were never
found.
Hartman later made several anonymous 911 emergency phone calls about Snipes' murder and talked to several police officers about
the crime.
At trial and since then, Hartman denied killing Snipes even
though DNA taken from the victim pinpointed Hartman. A bloody
shirt also positively connected him to her murder.
Upon the unanimous recommendation of the parole board, Strickland last month spared the life of Jeffrey D. Hill, 44, a Hamilton County man who had been sentenced to death for killing his 62-year-old mother, Emma Hill, while he was in a cocaine-induced rage.
Relatives of the slain woman pleaded with Strickland to spare the life of her son. He honored their wishes by commuting Hill's sentence to 25 years to life, making him potentially eligible for parole in seven years.
That outcome appears unlikely this time as there is no outcry to
spare Hartman's life, except from his lawyer, mother and a
minister.
Ohio has had 28 executions since resuming capital punishment in
1999.
The full clemency report can be read at
www.drc. ohio.gov/ Public/clemency. htm
<http://www.drc. ohio.gov/ Public/clemency. htm>