Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins is echoing claims by state Attorney General Dave Yost that Ohio's capital punishment system is at a standstill, with no executions carried out in over six years

The "2024 Capital Crimes Report" released Tuesday details the history of death penalty cases in Ohio since 1981. Yost expressed frustration at the lack of progress in resolving the system's issues. "The only thing that has changed? The killers got a year older," Yost said. "There needs to be some real progress – until that happens, Ohio cannot fulfill its promise of justice."

Since 1981, 337 individuals have received 342 death sentences in Ohio. Only 56 of those sentences have been carried out, with the last execution in July 2018. Currently, 116 inmates are on death row, facing 118 death sentences.

Among those on death row are several individuals from Mahoning and Trumbull counties:

Trumbull County:

  • Stanley Adams, sentenced for the 2001 murders of Esther Cook and Ashley Cook.
  • Sean Carter, sentenced for the 1998 murder of Veader Prince.
  • Danny Lee Hill, sentenced for the 1986 murder of Raymond Fife.
  • Nathaniel Jackson, sentenced for the murder of Robert Fingerhut.
  • David Martin, sentenced for the murder of Robert Fingerhut.
  • Donna Roberts, sentenced for the murder of Robert Fingerhut.
  • Andre Williams, sentenced for the 1989 murder of Jeremy Cole.

Mahoning County:

  • John Drummond, sentenced for the murder of Jiyen Dent.
  • Scott Group, sentenced for the murder of Robert Lozier.
  • Lance Hundley, sentenced for the murder of Erika Huff.
  • Willie Wilks Jr., sentenced for the murder of Ororo Wilkins.

The report highlights the lengthy appeals process, with inmates spending an average of over 22 years on death row. The difficulty in obtaining lethal injection drugs is a significant obstacle to executions. Yost suggested federal assistance and the use of nitrogen hypoxia as potential solutions.

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins issued a statement strongly supporting Yost's efforts. "There is no good reason for Ohio not to kickstart its justice system," Watkins said, pointing to executions in other states and calling for federal assistance in obtaining execution drugs.

The ACLU of Ohio has criticized the death penalty, citing concerns about wrongful convictions, racial disparities, and high costs. The ACLU stated that according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC), Black Ohioans make up well over half of the state’s death row population. They also stated that 11 people have been exonerated from Ohio’s death row.

The organization called for the abolition of the death penalty. They mentioned that according to polling, 56% of Ohioans support replacing the death penalty with a life sentence without parole.