Man charged in death of Toledo Correctional Institution inmate makes fir appearance in court

3/8/2013

A convicted serial killer charged in the death of an inmate at the Toledo Correctional Institution made his first appearance today in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Lawrence Michael Hensley, 43, formerly of Sidney, Ohio is charged with aggravated murder for the strangulation death of Bradley L. Hamlin, 24, of Mantua, Ohio. Hamlin was fund unresponsive on the floor of Hensley's cell Sept. 20 and died two days later at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.

In court today, Hensley waived his right to appear in person in Judge Gene Zmuda's courtroom for every hearing in his case, instead agreeing to appear by video from prison. He will be transported to court only for evidentiary hearings, a plea, or trial.

Hensley is serving multiple life sentences at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown for the slayings of three teen-aged girls and a man from his church in Shelby County in 1999.

A pretrial hearing in the new case was set for March 27.