|
|
| Inmate Sentenced to Death In Three States Executed |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 05/01/2002 |
|
Alton Coleman, who was sentenced to death in three states for a 1984 crime spree, was executed by injection last week. As witnesses watched in person and on closed circuit television, Coleman, 46, was put to death at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility for beating Marlene Walters to death in her home in a Cincinnati suburb. Coleman was the only person currently under a death sentence in three states: Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. He was suspected in as many as eight deaths, plus numerous robberies, rapes and kidnappings during the five-state spree with his girlfriend, Debra Denise Brown. Because of the number of victims, Ohio prison officials decided for the first time to broadcast an execution via closed circuit to another prison room to accommodate additional witnesses. Coleman's lawyers say he was abused as a child and his brain was affected by his mother use of drugs and alcohol while pregnant. Police and prosecutors, though, saw Coleman as a charismatic man who charmed his way into his victims' lives. Walters, 44, had just served lemonade to Coleman and Brown when she was attacked. He and Brown had said they wanted to buy the Walters camper. Coleman fought his execution through state and federal appeals courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that he had ineffective counsel in the Walters' trial and that the state should not be allowed to telecast the execution. Gov. Bob Taft denied clemency, as he did in Ohio's three previous executions. He and Brown also were sentenced to die for the torture and slaying of Tonnie Storey, 15, of Cincinnati two days before the Walters attack. Coleman also received the death penalty for strangling Vernita Wheat, 9, whose body was found in his hometown of Waukegan, Ill., and for stomping and strangling 7-year-old Tamika Turks of Gary, Ind. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Hiring an attorney can present confusing situations for someone. It’s hard to tell whether you’ll get the best service possible in your situation. You likely have a lot of questions. Will your lawyer hand off your matter to someone else? Will your lawyer return your phone calls? It’s hard to know without someone you can trust. If you been hurt in an Uber accident in Waco you need a lawyer. People in Central Texas have trusted Dunnam & Dunnam for almost 100 years for their most pressing legal concerns. They understand the value of a good advocate. They’re a family helping Waco families since 1925.