Governor Kasich to Decide on Clemency for Eley
June 25, 2012
Contact Governor Kasich at 614-466-3555 and tell him not to execute a man who is clearly not the worst of the worst.
The clemency hearing for John Eley, held on June 12, 2012, resulted in a split decision among the eight parole board members present. Three were in favor of granting Eley clemency, almost half of those present.
John Eley was convicted of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery for the 1986 incident with Melvin Green that resulted in the shooting of Ihsan Aydah in his store. He received the death penalty, but at his last parole board hearing the following points were addressed:
- Melvin Green was the leader of the crime: this point is agreed upon by the original prosecutor and Detective Fajack.
- The former Parole Officer who wrote the pre-sentence investigation was NOT in favor of recommending a death sentence for John Eley.
- Gary Von Brockin, the former Mahoning County Prosecutor, said that that Green was well-known and tied to several shootings.
- But for Melvin Green, Aydah would not have been murdered.
- Eley's post-conviction attorney testified that Eley did not comprehend the order of proceedings, and Dr. Smalldon was brought in to conduct a review for his post-conviction hearing, which revealed multiple reasons to look at Eley's competency.
- Eley suffers from severe substance abuse, probable brain impairment (he refuses to consent to any psychological testing), and is intellectually disabled. This makes his execution unconstitutional, and his mental illness could mean that he is incompetent.
To read the entire parole board report, click here.
Please contact Governor Kasich’s office at 614-466-3555 and urge him to commute the sentence of Mr. John Eley. We Ohioans recognize we should not execute individuals with mental illness.
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