A convicted killer whose execution was delayed once because of a juror’s letter won’t be put to death. Gov. John Kasich also delayed the execution for another killer.
Kasich commuted the death sentence of Raymond Tibbetts to life in prison. Tibbetts was convicted in 1997 for the murder of his wife, Judith Crawford, and their landlord, Fred Hicks, in Cincinnati.
Kasich rejected the parole board’s recommendation against clemency for Tibbetts after a hearing last month, which was prompted by a juror’s letter to Kasich raising concerns about Tibbetts’ trial.
Kasich also delayed Cleveland Jackson’s execution from September of 2018 to May of 2019. Jackson was convicted of the 2002 murder of 17-year-old Leneshia Williams and 3-year-old Jayla Grant in Lima.
Kasich wants to give Jackson’s newly appointed legal counsel time to review his case and prepare for his clemency hearing.
