4 days ago
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A antheral who spent much than a quarter-century connected decease enactment for the robbery and execution of a pistillate astatine an Ohio edifice had his lawsuit dismissed Friday by prosecutors.
Elwood Jones has been escaped since soon aft a justice granted him a caller proceedings successful December 2022, concluding that prosecutors had not turned implicit applicable grounds to his attorneys years ago.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said the dismissal of his lawsuit followed a monthslong broad reappraisal of grounds and tribunal filings successful his case.
"I did not instrumentality this bonzer measurement lightly," Pillich said successful a statement. "But aft reviewing the evidence, I americium not convinced that Mr. Jones killed Rhoda Nathan."
Jones was convicted of aggravated murder, robbery and burglary successful the 1994 beating decease of the 67-year-old from Toms River, New Jersey, successful Blue Ash, a Cincinnati suburb.
Under Pillich's predecessor, Melissa Powers, the prosecutor's bureau had appealed the judge's determination and that suit was inactive moving done the courts.
Just past week, the Ohio Supreme Court had recovered the appellate tribunal erred successful blocking the situation and returned it to the little tribunal for reconsideration. Supreme Court Justice Joe Deters, the erstwhile Hamilton County authoritative who secured the archetypal condemnation against Jones, recused himself from that decision.
But Pillich said going guardant with a caller proceedings without evidence, witnesses oregon up-to-date subject "would beryllium futile."
Among issues addressed by her reappraisal were: the deficiency of carnal oregon forensic grounds straight linking Jones to the murder; a deficiency of capable follow-up connected aggregate witnesser statements pointing to alternate suspects; and nonaccomplishment to supply Jones' defence with a ample measurement of investigatory worldly earlier trial. Modern-day aesculapian investigating has besides excluded Jones arsenic a suspect.
Police had said that Nathan, a grandma successful municipality implicit the Labor Day play to be the barroom mitzvah of her champion friend's grandson, was killed aft she amazed a would-be robber successful her room. Jones was an worker astatine the edifice and was connected the occupation that day, constabulary said.
A connection seeking remark was near with Jones' attorney. In tribunal filings, his defence squad argued that what the proceedings tribunal portrayed arsenic a "win-at-all-cost mentality" astatine the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office "stole implicit 28 years from Elwood Jones — an guiltless antheral — and it precise astir outgo him his life."
Pillich said she is establishing a Conviction Integrity Unit to hunt and reappraisal claims of wrongful condemnation and unjust sentencing utilizing nationalist champion practices.
"Had specified a portion existed years ago, this determination whitethorn person been reached overmuch sooner," she said.
Jones is the 12th decease enactment inmate exonerated successful Ohio and the 2nd from Hamilton County, said Kevin Werner, enforcement manager of Ohioans to Stop Executions, which seeks a repeal of the decease penalty.
He said the nationalist is fed up with wrongful convictions.
"We're reasoning of the Nathan household and we're reasoning of the Jones family, some who were irreparably harmed by Ohio's decease punishment system," helium said successful a statement.
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