Jay D. Scott (August 21, 1952 – June 14, 2001) was an American convicted murderer who was executed by the state of Ohio for the 1983 murder of a delicatessen owner in Cleveland. He was the second man put to death by Ohio since it reinstated capital punishment in 1981 and the first to be executed involuntarily. Scott's execution generated attention as he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, with his lawyers arguing he was too mentally ill to be executed.[1][2]
Jay D. Scott | |
|---|---|
 Mugshot of Jay D. Scott | |
| Born | August 21, 1952 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 14, 2001 (aged 48) |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Conviction(s) | Aggravated murder (2 counts) Aggravated robbery (2 counts) Armed robbery Felonious assault Abduction Attempted escape |
| Criminal penalty | Death (April 16, 1984) |
Early life
editJay D. Scott was born on August 21, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio, the sixth of eleven children born to Willie and Sadie Scott.[3] Both his parents were alcoholics who spent most of their income on alcohol and gambling. Scott grew up in an impoverished neighborhood on Cleveland's East Side and slept in a bedroom with up to four of his siblings sharing the same bed as him. Scott spent most of his days on the street, and by the age of nine, had been arrested on charges of truancy, theft, and breaking and entering. He was later placed in the Cleveland Boys School for troubled youth at the age of 13. Two of Scott's siblings were murdered and another was paralyzed in a shooting.[4]
Murders
editOn May 6, 1983, Vinnie M. Price, owner and operator of the V & E Delicatessen in Cleveland, was shot and killed during an attempted armed robbery of her establishment. An autopsy later revealed that she died from a gunshot wound to the chest.[5] A nearby resident testified that while walking back to her home after shopping at a local market, she noticed a greenish-blue Cadillac without a rear license plate pull up across from her house. She observed two men inside the car; one behind the wheel and the other in the back seat. She later observed another man come over a nearby fence and dive through the open window of the Cadillac. The car then drove away.[6]
The day after Price's murder, Scott participated in the robbery-slaying of Alexander Jones, a security guard at a restaurant.[7] He was later sentenced to death in that case, but the sentence was reduced to life on appeal.[1][8]
Capture
editSometime after the robbery, police received a telephone call from Ricky Tramble and a meeting between them was arranged. As a result, they began looking for the Cadillac used in the crime, and several suspects. Tramble testified at trial that he informed the detective that on the day Vinnie Price was killed, he was with Edward O'Neal, Michael Streeter, Danny Jones, and Jay D. Scott at O'Neal's girlfriend's house. Tramble stated that he had overheard Scott say, "Well, I did what I had to do. She shouldn't have made me move like that. Fuck it. It's over with." Scott professed to be "a stick-up man." Tramble related that O'Neal had informed him the next day of their involvement in the V & E Delicatessen incident, including the shooting of Price.[6]
Jones and O'Neal were arrested and gave statements to police that Scott shot Price. On May 17, 1983, the grand jury charged Scott with aggravated murder with an aggravated robbery specification and a firearm specification and aggravated robbery. Also charged in the same indictments were co-defendants Danny Jones, Edward O'Neal, and Michael Streeter.[6]
On July 29, 1983, Scott was arrested in Reading, Pennsylvania. On November 10, 1983, Scott was returned to Ohio for trial.[8] During the trip back to Cleveland, he inquired who was using his name in connection with a homicide and robbery. Up to this point, the arresting officers had informed Scott that he was wanted in connection with a homicide but made no mention of the fact that he was also charged with aggravated robbery. Scott maintained that he had been in Reading when the incident occurred.[6]
Trial and appeals
editScott entered a plea of not guilty.[9] On March 23, 1984, after a trial by jury, he was found guilty as to all counts and specifications.[9] On March 28, 1984, the jury recommended the sentence of death.[9] On April 3, 1984, Judge Joseph McManamon accepted the jury's recommendation and ordered that Scott be put to death.[10] His co-conspirators in the robbery and killing all received life prison terms.[1]
Scott's attorneys took his case through the appellate system four times, going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, unsuccessfully arguing that Scott should not be executed because he suffered from chronic schizophrenia. They said the execution would violate the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.[11][12]
Hostage taking incident
editOn October 14, 1985, Scott and several other inmates, including death row inmates William G. Zuern Jr. and John William Byrd Jr., took two guards hostage at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. The prisoners demanded that they receive free deodorant, access to televisions and radios, more desserts, and transfers to the Franklin County Jail. They threatened to harm the guards if the demands were not met. After fifteen hours of negotiations, the guards were released unharmed.[13][14]
In June 1986, Scott and his accomplices were tried for kidnapping charges in relation to the hostage-taking, however, a jury was unable to reach a verdict. Afterward, the prosecutor struck a deal with the inmates and said if they agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of abduction that they would be treated to a gourmet dinner. The inmates agreed, were treated to the meal, and were only charged with abduction, with each being sentenced to two to ten years in prison, which would run concurrently with their other sentences. The meal sparked outrage.[15][16]
Execution
editOn April 19, 2000, Scott's execution was approved.[17] He twice came within moments of being executed before he was finally put to death by lethal injection on June 14, 2001.[18][19] On April 17, 2001, Scott's execution was stopped 65 minutes before it was expected to happen. On May 15, 2001, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stepped in and the execution was halted at 8:57 p.m. Scott already had the injection shunts in his arms.[11][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Jay D. Scott #719". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
- ^ Gillan, Audrey (June 16, 2001). "Schizophrenic man put to death in Ohio". The Guardian. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Ohio Executions - 1999 to Present". Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Archived from the original on January 17, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ Randall, Kate (June 16, 2001). "Ohio executes schizophrenic death row inmate". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Shopkeeper dies in robbery attempt". Dayton Daily News. May 9, 1983. p. 12. Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Scott v. Mitchell, 209 F.3d 854 (2000)". Leagle. April 19, 2000. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "4 indicted in store owner's slaying". The Akron Beacon Journal. May 19, 1983. p. 24. Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Jay D. Scott Execution". Dayton Daily News. June 15, 2001. p. 8A. Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Scott v. Anderson, 58 F. Supp. 2d 767 (N.D. Ohio 1998)". Justia. September 30, 1998. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Man sentenced to electric chair". The Daily Advocate. April 4, 1984. p. 1. Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Beyerlein, Tom (June 15, 2001). "Ohio executes Scott". Dayton Daily News. pp. 1A, 8A. Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b McCarthy, John (June 15, 2001). "Convicted killer Jay D. Scott executed". The Blade. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Two Guards Held Hostage As Talks Continue At Prison". Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. October 15, 1985. p. 2. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Siege ends at Ohio prison". Sidney Daily News. October 16, 1985. p. 8. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Crockett, Kimberly (July 26, 1986). "Inmates' gourmet dinner called an 'outrage'". The Cincinnati Enquirer. pp. 31, 32. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hunter, Ginny (July 26, 1986). "Plea-Bargain Yields Gourmet Meal". The Times-Tribune. p. 5. Retrieved January 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Execution for killer approved". The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 20, 2000. p. 40. Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kropko, M.R. (April 17, 2001). "Time running out for killer". Record-Courier. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Ohio Execution Will Go Ahead". Orlando Sentinel. May 15, 2001. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.