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Anthony Kirkland

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Anthony Kirkland
c. 2020 mugshot
Born (1968-09-13) September 13, 1968 (age 56)
United States
Conviction(s)Aggravated murder (2 counts)
Murder (2 counts)
Voluntary manslaughter
Attempted rape (2 counts)
Aggravated robbery (2 counts)
Abuse of a corpse (4 counts)
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims5
Span of crimes
1987–2009
CountryUnited States
State(s)Ohio
Date apprehended
March 8, 2009 (for the final time)
Imprisoned atOhio State Penitentiary

Anthony Kirkland (born September 13, 1968)[1] is an American serial killer. Between 2006 and 2009, Kirkland murdered two women and two girls in the Cincinnati area, following a 16-year prison term for the 1987 killing of his girlfriend.[2]

Early life

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Kirkland experienced physical and mental abuse as a child, his lawyers claim.[3]

1987 killing

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On May 20, 1987, Kirkland raped and murdered his girlfriend, Leola Douglas, after she refused to have sex with him.[4] He then set her body on fire to conceal evidence of the rape.[5] Kirkland pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.

Kirkland obtained his GED and an associate degree in prison. However, he had multiple infractions in prison. Between 1998 and 2003, Kirkland was placed in solitary confinement 21 times for "disciplinary control." In the last nine months of his time in prison, he was sent to solitary four times for breaking the rules or fighting other inmates.[6]

Kirkland was initially denied parole due to the severity of his crimes. However, he benefitted from a ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court declaring that parole-eligible inmates had to be judged by their conviction and not just the crime. Therefore, Kirkland was subject to more lenient guidelines for a voluntary manslaughter conviction.[6] Kirkland was paroled in 2004, having served 16 years of his sentence.[7][8]

2006–2009 murders

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From May 4, 2006, through March 7, 2009, Kirkland murdered four females (two women and two teenagers), three of them by strangulation. In each case, he had burned his victim's body to conceal evidence of rape.[9][10] Kirkland was arrested near the scene of his last murder victim in possession of her watch and iPod.[9]

Victims

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Kirkland's five victims were:

  • Leola Douglas, age 27, killed May 20, 1987;[8]
  • Casonya Crawford, age 14, murdered May 4, 2006;[9][11]
  • Mary Jo Newton, age 45, murdered June 14, 2006;[9][11]
  • Kimya Rolison, age 25, murdered December 22, 2006;[9][11] and
  • Esme Kenney, age 13, murdered March 7, 2009.[9][11]

Trial

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On the morning of his trial, Kirkland entered a plea guilty to the murder and abuse-of-a-corpse charges relating to Mary Jo Newton and Kimya Rolison. On March 12, 2010, the jury found Kirkland guilty on all the remaining counts, including all the death-penalty specifications. The jury recommended a sentence of death. He was sentenced to death on March 31, 2010.[12]

The court sentenced Kirkland to death for the aggravated murder of Esme Kenney (while committing or attempting to commit rape) and for the aggravated murder of Casonya Crawford (while committing or attempting to commit a robbery). The court also sentenced Kirkland to 70 years to life for the murders of Mary Jo Newton and Kimya Rolison.

Kirkland is presently incarcerated at Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, Ohio.

Appeals

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On May 13, 2014, the Supreme Court of Ohio upheld Kirkland's conviction and death sentence.[13][14][4]

On October 16, 2014, the Supreme Court of Ohio granted a motion by Kirkland for a stay of execution.[15]

On April 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Kirkland's appeal.[16]

In May 2016, the Supreme Court of Ohio granted a motion for a new sentencing hearing for Kirkland.[17]

On November 9, 2017, Perry Ancona and Norm Aubin, Kirkland's most recent attorneys, successfully requested to Judge Patrick Dinkelacker of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas that they be removed from the case. According to them and prosecutor Mark Piepmeier, an attorney with the state public defender's office who is not Kirkland's attorney of record has been discussing the case and his sentencing with him.[18]

Kirkland's resentencing hearing began with opening statements on July 25, 2018.[19] On August 6, 2018, the jury recommended that Kirkland should be sentenced to death.[20]

On August 28, 2018, a Hamilton County judge agreed with the jury's recommendation and sentenced Kirkland to death.[21][22] He is on death row at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Offender Details
  2. ^ "Offender Details". appgateway.drc.ohio.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  3. ^ "'Things kind of got out of hand': How a detective got serial killer Anthony Kirkland to confess". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b Baker, Jennifer Edwards (May 13, 2014). "Court rejects serial killer's death sentence appeal". cincinannati.com. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  5. ^ "Brother: Don't forget Kirkland's first victim". WCPO. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  6. ^ a b "Why was Anthony Kirkland granted parole?". WXIX-TV. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  7. ^ "Police: Anthony Kirkland suspect in several murders - FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather & Sports". Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
  8. ^ a b "Cincinnati News, Sports and Things to do | Cincinnati Enquirer".
  9. ^ a b c d e f Kirkland sentenced to death | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com
  10. ^ "Cincinnati News, Sports and Things to do | Cincinnati Enquirer".
  11. ^ a b c d State of Ohio vs. Anthony Kirkland, Case No. 2010-0854, In the Supreme Court of Ohio, Merit Brief of Appellant Anthony Kirkland, at Page 1
  12. ^ Jurors find Anthony Kirkland guilty of all 12 counts, including aggravated murder | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com
  13. ^ "Death sentence upheld for killer of 2 teen girls". The Washington Times. Associated Press. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  14. ^ Maloney, Kathleen (13 May 2014). "Supreme Court Rejects Death Penalty Appeal of Hamilton County Man in Murders of Two Women and Two Girls". COURT NEWS OHIO. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  15. ^ "The Supreme Court of Ohio State of Ohio v. Anthony Kirkland" (PDF). 16 October 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  16. ^ Johnson, Alan (6 April 2015). "Child killer Anthony Kirkland loses early round at U.S. Supreme Court". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  17. ^ "Anthony Kirkland, convicted Cincinnati killer, granted re-sentencing". Yahoo! News. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Serial killer's attorneys removed from case". WLWT5. November 5, 2017.
  19. ^ "Defense argues for life without parole in the first day of Anthony Kirkland resentencing". July 25, 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Kirkland victim's grandmother: 'Lay down and take your punishment'". WCPO Cincinnati. August 6, 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  21. ^ "Judge sentences serial killer Anthony Kirkland to death". 29 August 2018.
  22. ^ Dawn, Abby (August 28, 2018). "Judge sentences convicted serial killer Anthony Kirkland to death". WCPO Cincinnati. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  23. ^ "Offender Details". appgateway.drc.ohio.gov. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
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