Friday, April 15, 2011

Columbus, OH: Ohio Parole Board opposes mercy for man who killed ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in 1984

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Parole Board recommends that Gov. John Kasich deny clemency to a man who admitted killing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in 1984 three days after he tried to rekindle the relationship.
In a report released Wednesday, the board voted 9-0 against mercy for 66-year-old Daniel Lee Bedford, scheduled to die by lethal injection on May 17.
Bedford killed 25-year-old Gwen Toepfert and 27-year-old John Smith at the woman's Cincinnati apartment. Prosecutors say he shot her with a handgun and, as she lay on the floor, shot her in the groin with a shotgun.
Bedford's attorneys had argued he should be spared, claiming he is mildly mentally retarded and has dementia. Bedford told the board he does not remember the shootings or his ensuing trial and sentencing.

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