COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Parole Board has recommended mercy for a condemned inmate scheduled to die next month for slashing a 72-year-old woman's neck during a robbery that netted her penny collection.
The eight-member board ruled unanimously Friday in its recommendation of life without parole. Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik) has the final say on clemency.
Joseph Murphy killed Ruth Predmore in Marion in a 1987 robbery. Murphy's attorneys argued that the 46-year-old man deserved mercy because of a horrific childhood.
Murphy's case has attracted attention for a separate matter. His lawyers have asked for details about the cancer diagnosis of a member of the state's execution team.
A judge ruled they are entitled to the information because the man's health bears on his ability to the job.
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