As a quick summary; in Episode 12 of Ohio 88, we discussed the most notorious individual from Clark County, Ohio. Juan Kinley murdered his 31-year-old girlfriend and her 12-year-old son with a machete on Jan. 10, 1989. Kinley remains on Ohio's death row following his 1991 conviction.
Since being convicted and sentenced, Juan has been fighting to get off of death row. His latest writ of Habeas Corpus was denied in December of 2020. And at the time of the original recording - June 01, 2021...Juan Kinley was on a list of Pending Cases for the Southern District of Ohio. His case is in a state of abeyance...or temporarily on hold until matters are resolved.
So, Juan Kinley is still sitting on death row and being housed at Chillicothe Correctional Institution. He has one more chance to plead his case to the parole board. But what about the victim’s family? How do they feel about this?
In this special episode of Ohio 88, I sit down with Thelma’s niece and David’s cousin; Gracie. She describes exactly what this journey has been like for her entire family…but especially her father; Thelma’s brother. In speaking with Gracie, she told me how Thelma and David were, as people…not just as victims. She let me in on the emotions that she and her family have had to deal with over the last 30 years. And finally, she let me know what Thelma would have wanted others to know about her case and her decisions. Thelma would have wanted others to be more careful and to seek help if/when they are in an abusive relationship. The organization that she was scheduled to meet with on the day of her tragic and gruesome murder, is called https://projectwomanohio.org/. If you or someone you know needs assistance – reach out before it’s too late.