Trumbull County Prosecutor, Dennis Watkins has expressed his opposition to the potential parole of a Trumbull County woman convicted of stabbing her husband and burning her mobile home down killing her five-year-old son.

In January, of 1978, Trumbull County fire crews responded to a fire at a mobile home in Vernon Township. 

According to a letter sent to the Ohio Adult Parole Authority Board by Watkins on November 23, 2022, Judith Morris Delgros had gone to a neighboring mobile home occupied by her husband, Donald Morris's nephew telling him that her home was on fire with her husband and kids still inside.

Morris Delgros claimed that her husband had pushed her out of the home and saved her six-year-old son, who she was holding, but Donald and her two other kids were still inside.

Donald was later found by firemen burned to death in a bedroom with the door shut. Morris Delgros's five-year-old son, Christopher Styles was also found burned to death in the home. 

According to the letter, Donald was able to save the couple's nine-year-old son who suffered second-degree burns as a result of the fire.

The fire was initially ruled as accidental due to Morris Delgros's recollection of events and remained this way for 15 years. 

However, thanks to Morris Delgros's nine-year-old son speaking as a witness, as well as investigation efforts by local law enforcement, it was later found that the fire was an arson planned by Morris Delgros.

She was convicted for double aggravated murder in 1993.

According to the letter, Morris Delgros's nine-year-old son, Edward Bridge told investigators that he had witnessed his mother striking her husband in the head knocking him to the floor, followed by stabbing him four to five times and pouring liquid near the furnace setting fire to the home.

An autopsy later confirmed that Donald Morris's cause of death was stab wounds rather than accidental fire and ruled the death a homicide. Further investigation revealed at least seven stab wounds.

According to the letter, Donald's nephew, Gary Morris also pointed out inconsistencies with Morris Delgros's story including the fact that he did not hear anyone screaming to evacuate despite living right next door, Morris Delgros being fully dressed despite her saying she was asleep at the time of the fire and her laughing on the way to the hospital.

"This mother made no effort to save her two children caught in the fire. She did not have one scratch or burn on her body. She chose to save one with herself and let her other two children be consumed by the fire," Watkins said.

"I'll never forget Judith Morris Delgros's demeanor and nonchalant carrying on with life after murdering her husband, starting a fire and burning him to a crisp along with seeing her five-year-old son Christopher burn to death too," Watkins added.

Watkins noted the fact that Morris Delgros's risk score is at zero, the fact that she had completed a number of programs successfully and that reports show good behavior in prison.

However, Watkins compared this to Richard Clowers, who was recently denied parole despite his good behavior in prison noting that he does not have access to mental health records or evaluations of prisoners as to future dangerousness.

"Good behavior inside of prisons does not mean necessarily that there will be good behavior once an inmate is released on parole. Furthermore, and most importantly the monstrosity of her extraordinary vicious crimes should outweigh everything else as was apparently the case with triple murderer Richard Clowers," Watkins said.

Watkins concluded the letter by stating that Morris Delgros does not deserve parole, but deserves to remain in prison for the rest of her life. 

"There is a special place for persons who murder their own children and it is not in Ohio, the United States or any other land on earth and afterwards, it is not Heaven. It is prison and then that other place," Watkins said.