Telegraph-Forum from Bucyrus, Ohio • 1

Friday September 3, 2010 50 Cents MEDICAL RESEARCH LOCAL HOSPITAL PARTICIPATING IN NATIONWIDE RADIATION INJURY STUDY PAGE 3A DEAR AEBY Psphoogisedsqunseiing pagesa BUCKEYES OPEN BIG OHIO STATE OFFENSE PUTS HURT ON THUNDERING HERD PAGE 7A mi TRIPLE MURDER sentence commuted o) Timeline Governor overrides unanimous board recommendation BY ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS Associated Press COLUMBUS A condemned inmate had his life spared Thursday when Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland cited "legitimate questions" about evidence used to con-vict the inmate, even though the governor believes the prisoner committed the crimes. Strickland questioned some of the eyewitness testimony against Kevin Keith, who was scheduled to die Sept 15, and says he bothered that other possible suspects weren't fully investigated. Strickland said Keith has appeals available that could lead to a full reexamination of the crime, but he also acknowledged that might not happen. Strickland said that despite evidence supporting Keith's guilt, "many legitimate questions have been raised re Strickland garding the evidence in support of the conviction and the investigation which led to it" The "case is clearly one in which a full, fair analysis of all of the unanswered questions should be considered by a court," Strickland said.

"Under these circumstances, I cannot allow Mr. Keith to be executed." The move by the Democratic governor overrides last month's decision from his parole board, which unanimously recommended against clemency. Strickland also overrode the parole board in 2008, when he commuted the death sentence of another inmate who claimed innocence. Strickland made it clear he believes Keith is likely guilty of the 1994 slayings in Bucyrus. "There is evidence which links him to the crimes that, while circumstantial, is not otherwise well explained," Strickland said.

Police say Keith entered an apartment in Bucyrus See SPARED, page 2A 4- I Feb. 13: A black man wearing dark clothing enters a Bucyrus Estates residence at 1712 Marion Road, Apt. around 9 p.m., socializes with the residents and then begins firing a 9mm handgun. Marichell Chatman, 39; Marchae Chatman, and Linda Chatman, 39, are killed. Richard Warren, 23; Quanita Reeves, and her brother, Quentin Reeves, 4, are hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.

I Feb. 15: Bucyrus police arrest Kevin A. Keith, 30, and charge him with three counts of aggravated murder and three counts of attempted aggravated murder. I Feb. 16: Police announce a motive for the murder as a "drug connection" while making it clear the victims were innocent of any involvement in drugs.

I Feb. 19: More than 150 people attend the funerals of Linda, Marichell, and Marchae Chatman at Glenwood Cemetery in Crestline. I Feb. 22: Keith is indicted on six charges with a death penalty specification. I Feb.

24: Keith pleads not guilty to all six charges at his arraignment and a $1 million cash bond is set. A May 10 murder trial is scheduled. I March 17: Melanie Davison is indicted by a Crawford County -grand jury for trying to smuggle marijuana to Keith in jail. I May 41n a notice of alibi, defense attorney James Banks says Keith was at the home of relatives Gene and Gracie Keith in Crestline on the night of the shootings. I March 5: Investigators believe they have found the getaway car when Melanie Davison visits Keith in jail.

The last three digits on Davison's license plate match the imprint left in a snowbank by the getaway vehicle. At trial, the defense will argue the last three digits also match 17 other plates in Bucyrus. I May 11: An all-white jury is empaneled, seven women and five men. There are no minorities among a pool of about 60 prospective jurors who appeared in court. I May 16: Survivor Rick Warren testifies the gunman told the three adults and three children to get on the floor.

"Marichell said, 'Why are you doing this Kevin? We don't have Warren said. "He said 'Don't say my Then the man opened fire. "I told (the doctor) I knew (the gunman's) name, but I didn't know the guy," Warren said. A neighbor, Nancy Smathers, testified she heard gunshots and looked out her apartment door to see Kevin Keith running from the scene. She said he tried to escape in a light-colored car, but ran into a snow bank, leaving a partial license plate impression.

I May 17: Fernelle Graham testifies she was picking up trash outside her Walnut Street house when she noticed a shell casing. Graham lives across the street from the General Electric plant, where Keith picked up Zina Scott, his live-in girlfriend, at around 11 p.m. on the night of the murders. I May 18: The prosecution rests its case after stating the motive. See TIMELINE, page 10A TELEGRAPH-FORUM FILE Convicted killer Kevin Keith is led into the courtroom in Bucyrus for a June hearing.

Gov. Strickland's history with clemency, page 3A. For mors photos, go to fkJy(mTffifwmMm) Outraged family wants answers, justice can sit in prison, laugh, make jokes and visit with his family. My people aren't living," Chatman said. "Quanita and Quentin have to deal with this every day," he said as he spoke of his cousins, Quentin and Quanita Reeves, who were shot by Keith along with Rick Warren, Marichell's boyfriend.

All three survived the attack BY KIMBERLY GASURAS Telegraph-Forum BUCYRUS Damon Chatman's anger could not be contained Thursday night Chatman's emotional response reflected that of his entire family upon hearing the news that Gov. Ted Strickland had commuted Feb. 13, 1994. The two children, now adults, offered testimony last month opposing Keith's appeal at a clemency hearing. Their account of that evening moved the panel to a unanimous 8-0 vote opposing clemency.

Strickland took the opposing view. See FAMILY, page 2A triple murderer Kevin Keith's sentence from death to life in prison. Keith was convicted of murdering Damon's sister, Marichell Chatman, her 4-year-pld daughter Marchae and her aunt, Iinda Chat-man. "My sister, my 4-year-old niece, my aunt, we have to go to the cemetery to visit them, but Kevin Decision stuns officers who investigated deaths cluding that Kevin Keith's sentence should be commuted," Murphy said. "I want to express my heartfelt sympathies to the Chatman family and RickWarren for the disappointing decision of our governor." Keith's attorneys from the Ohio Public Defenders Office, which include Assistant State Public Defenders Rachel Troutman, Andrew King and Tyson Fleming, along with John Q.

Lewis, partner at Jones See OFFICERS, page 2A Marchae and her aunt, Linda Chatman, were murdered. Keith also was convicted of shooting Marichell's cousins, 4-year-old Quentin and 6-year-old Quanita Reeves, along with Marichell's boyfriend, Rick Warren. Corwin, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Crestline, was one of the principal investigators into the murders. At Keith's trial on May 8, 1994, Bucyrus police Chief Joe Beran said, "I knew we had the right man by noon the next day." Crawford County Sheriff Ron Shawber helped the Bucyrus Police Department the night of the murders. "I do not think the police investigation was flawed, and I feel they did a good job," Shawber said Thursday night, Crawford County Assistant Prosecutor Cliff Murphy also was disappointed in the governor's decision.

"Unfortunately, the governor has chosen to reject the opinion of the parole board and the courts in con BY KIMBERLY GASURAS Telegraph-Forum 'BUCYRUS Mike Corwin was stunned by Gov. Ted Strickland's decision Thursday to commute Kevin Keith's death sentence less than two weeks before the man was to be executed. "I don't even know what to say," Corwin said in exasperation. Corwin was a captain with the Bucyrus Police Department on Feb. 13, 1994, when Marichell Chatman, her 4-year-old daughter Bucyrus trucker pleads guilty to abuse of corpse sentencing.

Derenberger faces six to 12 months in prison. "The judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation be held," Pickaway County Sheriff tigators by providing GPS information that tracked the movements of his truck. Radcliff said authorities discovered Vaughn was seen alive in the vicinity of the Petro Truck Plaza at Interstate 40 and Interstate 75 in Knoxville the day before her body was found. The truck stop is a six-to seven-hour drive from the rest area where Vaughn was found. gomery County coroner." Calls to Derenberger's attorney, Steven A.

Larson of Columbus, were not returned. Radcliff said that it's not unusual for a pre-sentence investigation to take up to six weeks. Radcliff confirmed Derenberger confessed to dumping the half-nude body of Kim Vaughn, 36, of Memphis, at a rest stop on U.S. 23 near Circleville on July 8. Derenberger has been in Pick away County Jail since July 18.

Radcliff said toxicology reports have not yet been received, but added an autopsy showed no signs of violence. A cause of death was not immediately known. Derenberger said he picked up the woman near Knoxville, but said the woman died in his cab shortly thereafter. Derenberger works for Robinson Transport in Obetz, near Columbus. The company assisted inves- BY DAN CLUTTER Telegraph-Forum CIRCLEVTLLE A Bucyrus trucker who dumped a Tennessee woman's body in a Pickaway County truck stop has pleaded guilty to one count of abuse of a corpse.

Trenton Derenberger, 33, pleaded guilty Friday in Pickaway County Common Pleas Court. Judge P. Randall Knece ordered that Derenberger remain in jail until his Derenberger Dwight Radcliff said. "But he said that he didn't want to sentence him until the toxicology report comes back from the Mont- dclutternncogannett.com 419-563-9225 A Gannett newspaper Reach more than 149,000 readers with a classified ad. On the Web, go to CentralOhioClassified.com, or call 419-524-3545 or 800-472-5547.

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