On Jan. 3 the Ohio Attorney General's office announced that there is no DNA evidence linking John Spirko to the crime scene of a murder for which he will be executed Jan. 24 unless Governor Ted Strickland grants clemency. The Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC) summarized the situation.
"After more than two years of extensive DNA testing, Attorney General Marc Dann concluded that no DNA evidence links John Spirko to the murder for which his execution is scheduled later this month. In addition to no DNA evidence, there exists no credible eyewitness linking him to the crime, and John Spirko was in Toledo, Ohio, at 9:30 a.m. while Mrs. Mottinger was being abducted more than 100 miles away in Elgin, Ohio, at 8:30 a.m. on August 9, 1982."
The debate about the death penalty has not advanced to the point where the value of human life trumps the state’s right to kill, but the execution of a potentially innocent person is something that is reprehensible to a lot of people.
That’s why IJPC is giving Ohioans the information they need to express their wish for a governor who has already proven he’s willing to let people die despite doubts about the inhumanity, fairness and in accuracy of the application of the death penalty.
Call, fax or snail-mail your thoughts about this lack of proof that resulted in a conviction.
Call: Constituent Issues 614-644-4357
Leave your name, the community in which you live and urge the governor to grant clemency for John Spirko.
Fax: 614-466-9354
The subject line “Clemency for Spirko.”
E-mail: at www. governor.ohio.gov.
Select the tab on the right-hand side labeled “contact us.” Then go to “Constituent Affairs” on the right-hand side of the page
USPS:
Governor’s Office
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 S. High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
You might also want to add a comment about the embarrassment Ohio continues to face as a result of our incompetence in handling executions. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday on the lethal injection protocol.
— Margo Pierce
This is just one more example of a broken system that Ohio needs to address. Many states are begininng to look at and rethink their systems of capital punishment. ... When will Ohio follow suit and address these vital issues, such as why we have doubts about an inmate's guilt after 20 years?
Posted by: Julie Przybysz | January 16, 2008 at 11:19 AM