Governor (D-Ohio) commutes death row inmate's sentence to life in prison

AP ^ | Jan. 10, 2008 | Staff

[jdm]

COLUMBUS, Ohio: An Ohio death row inmate who had received a state record seven reprieves and faced execution this month had his murder sentence commuted to life in prison.

Governor Ted Strickland based his decision Wednesday on the lack of physical evidence linking John Spirko to the 26-year-old murder and "the slim residual doubt" about Spirko's responsibility for it.

Those factors make "the imposition of the death penalty inappropriate in this case," Strickland said.

Strickland is a death penalty supporter, but he has said he is conscious of the numerous examples of exoneration through DNA testing around the United States.

The attorney general's office said last week it had concluded that no DNA evidence links Spirko to the 1982 killing of Betty Jane Mottinger. Mottinger was abducted from the post office she ran and repeatedly stabbed, then wrapped in a tarp and dumped in a field.

Spirko's attorneys said they were disappointed that Strickland did not free Spirko.

"There can be no joy in the commutation of an innocent man's sentence to life without parole," lawyers Tom Hill and Alvin Dunn said in a statement.

Spirko, 61, was convicted based on his comments to investigators. Authorities said he described details only someone at the scene of the crime could know.

[jdm]

Spirko, 61, was convicted based on his comments to investigators. Authorities said he described details only someone at the scene of the crime could know.

"At times, when he wasn't denying having committed the murder, he appears to have admitted doing so," (Governor) Strickland said.

This guy gives John Kerry a run for his money.

[PubliusMM]

From another Buckeye...Strickland is a joke.

[ohiobuckeye1997]

The so called governor is just another scum sucking democrat...we are plagued with them here...and he calls himself a minister..what a joke

[originalbuckeye]

I was reading something recently and had the occasion to google Rocky Saxbe. He married a woman from my high school and my recollection was that he was very conservative. What a shock to find that he spearheaded the ‘Republicans for Strickland’ coalition against Blackwell. Was Blackwell that bad? Or have the Saxbes gone soft on conservative principles? My poor Ohio homeland.

[RockinRight]

I hate to say this, but Strickland’s minister status is a lot like Huckabee’s to some voters - it trumps ALL else.

[originalbuckeye]

Minister for what denomination? The Unitarian Universalists?

[highpockets]

from the article:

Spirko has denied he confessed and claimed that he contacted investigators and offered to trade information about the killing so police would go easy on his girlfriend who was facing charges in an unrelated case.,

Clearly the system has failed.

Free this man who had information only the killer would know.

[cherry]

"Spirko, 61, was convicted based on his comments to investigators."

in the olden days say 40 yrs ago people were convicted of major crimes without ANY dna evidence....

why is dna so important now?....its evidence but not total evidence...dna is usually backed up or vice versa with circumstantial evidence, witnesses, interviews, etc.....

dna is not the WHOLE story.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Strickland is a death penalty supporter...doubtful - Strickland's a former psychologist - he'd have been virtually drummed out of the profession if he had even hinted he supported the death penalty......

[GOP_Lady]

Not surprising. After all, this governor’s favorite GOP candidate is Huckabee. (I hated to bring this up; I know I’m stretching a little, but I feel it’s somewhat warranted).