Article published October 24, 2008
No mercy for Toledo killer, parole board says
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF
COLUMBUS - The Ohio Parole Board yesterday found "no compelling reason'' to recommend Gov. Ted Strickland show mercy to Gregory Bryant-Bey in the 1992 robbery and murder of a Toledo merchant.
Bryant-Bey, 53, faces lethal injection on Nov. 19 for killing Dale Pinkelman, 48, whose body was found lying face up, a single stab wound in his chest, on the floor of his shop, Pinky's Collectibles.
Bryant-Bey was also convicted in the similar murder almost three months later of Pete Mihas, 61, owner of downtown Toledo's Board Room restaurant. He received a life sentence for that murder, but the evidence from that case subsequently helped convict him of the earlier Pinkelman murder.
The killer's attorneys made little effort during his clemency hearing to argue that he was not guilty and instead focused largely on his upbringing. They argued that he'd been abandoned by his Toledo mother at a young age and was left with an abusive godmother in New York. They described an incident when, at a young age, he ran away and tried to walk home to Toledo.
His mother eventually retrieved him from New York, returned him to Toledo, and left him with an ex-husband, who was not his father, and his family.
The argument didn't sway the board, which pointed to the testimony given during the hearing of Bryant-Bey's half-sister, Ruth Williamson-Bey. She tearfully told the board that she'd asked her father to bring Bryant-Bey to their home after she learned of his existence."In fact, testimony and information presented indicated that after Bryant-Bey returned to Toledo at the age of 13, he was able to adjust adequately and conform to societal norms, and experienced a more stable family life,'' reads the board's report.
"The board also notes that Gregory L. Bryant-Bey does not accept full responsibility for the crimes of conviction,'' it reads. "The board finds that the death sentence in this case is fair and just and is not disproportionate when compared to similar cases.''
Members of the board had noted during the hearing that Ms. Williamson-Bey had managed to overcome her own substance abuse problems while her brother had not.
"I was disappointed that they didn't give more weight to the childhood that ended up creating this,'' said Ohio Assistant Public Defender Rachel Troutman, who argued the killer's case before the board.
"I was a little puzzled by the belief that he ended up able to adjust to societal norms,'' Ms. Troutman said.
"I think they misunderstood. Ruth had her share of problems as a result of her childhood, so if that's the more stable family life they're talking about, I don't understand how it could be used against him,'' she said.
The seven members of the board who participated in the hearing were all in agreement against recommending clemency.
Board member Jim Bedra did not participate. As a former victim advocate in Lucas County, he'd previously had some involvement with victims in the case. The ninth seat on the board is vacant.
Bryant-Bey's attorneys have asked the governor to commute his death sentence to life in prison without parole. As an alternative, they'd asked for a 90-day reprieve to further examine evidence in the case.
Unless Mr. Strickland rejects the board's recommendations or a court unexpectedly intervenes, Bryant-Bey would be transported the roughly 250 miles from death row at the Ohio State Penitentiary near Youngstown to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville before his execution date.
"His legal counsel will consider all relevant aspects of the case and provide the governor with that totality of information, and then he will do the same,'' Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey said.
"His judgments are made on a case-by-case basis,'' he said.
Mr. Dailey noted that the governor also will consider court decisions in the case, evidence presented to the parole board on both sides, and letters received by his office.
Contact Jim Provance at:
jprovance@theblade.com,
or 614-221-0496.
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