The state has seven executions scheduled for 2019 starting with Warren "Keith" Henness on February, 13 2019. We need your help telling Governor DeWine that Keith's case is yet another reminder of the systemic flaws with Ohio's death penalty for the reasons listed below:

Keith Henness' trial lawyers did virtually no work defending him

• Lead counsel logged fewer than 12 hours investigating the case during the sixteen months before trial.

• Counsel did not investigate or hire mitigation specialists to defend Keith.

Lingering doubt exists today; evidence was destroyed

• Both co-defendants had histories of violence, substance abuse issues, and motive for killing Richard Myers. Keith had no history of violence and no motive for the crime.

• Finger prints and blood samples taken from the crime scene did not match Keith.
• The lead detective on the case instructed the crime lab to destroy the forensic evidence after the trial during Keith's appeal.

Keith's death sentence is an outlier that never should have occurred

• Franklin county data show from 1990-1995, 98% of indicted aggravated murder cases did not receive the death penalty. 
• Because Keith did not trust his lawyers, he did not agree to a plea deal offered by prosecutors for 20 years-life.

Keith Henness is the first person scheduled for execution under Governor Mike DeWine. Call the Governor at 614-466-3555 and urge him not to execute Keith Henness. Gov. DeWine should grant clemency to Keith based on ineffective trial lawyers, lingering doubts about co-defendants, and data clearly demonstrating his death sentence is unfair. Click here to read more about Keith's case and click here to sign our change.org petition.

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