Sidney Cornwell

Background

Sidney Cornwell was convicted in Ohio of killing a three-year-old child during a gang shootout and of attempted aggravated murder involving other occupants of an apartment.

Cornwell was of Youngstown. The intended targets involved rival neighborhood gangs described as “Crips” and “Bloods.”

Cornwell’s death sentence was later commuted to life without the possibility of parole after a clemency decision by the governor.

The offence

During the early morning hours of June 11, 1996, Sidney Cornwell and some associates who belonged to a neighborhood gang in Youngstown drove up to an apartment building on Oak Park Lane with the intention of shooting a rival gang member.

When the intended victim was not seen, Cornwell opened fire on the occupants of an apartment, killing a three-year-old child and wounding three adults.

The child who was killed was identified as Jessica Ballew. The girl was three years old when Cornwell murdered her during the gang shootout. Cornwell was scheduled to die by injection for the killing of Jessica Ballew.

Investigation

On the afternoon of the previous day, Cornwell and other members or associates of the “Crips” gang had been involved in a shootout with members of the “Bloods” gang on Elm Street at New York Avenue in Youngstown.

Trial

Sidney Cornwell was subsequently convicted of aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder.

Cornwell was sentenced to death.

Cornwell was described as being on death row and as having been scheduled to die by injection.

Sentencing

Sidney Cornwell was sentenced to death on May 23, 1997.

Appeals

No appeal proceedings were described.

Outcome

Cornwell’s sentence was commuted to life without the possibility of parole in November 2010.

The clemency decision was described as coming from the State of Ohio Adult Parole Authority clemency report and was attributed to Governor Ted Strickland.

Governor Ted Strickland said:

“Although I disagree with the governor's decision, I respect his right to make that decision,”

Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains said:

The Parole Board had recommended against mercy for Cornwell, but Strickland said jurors might have chosen a different sentence if they had known of Cornwell’s condition.

The medical condition was identified as Klinefelter Syndrome, described as undiagnosed and as contributing to developmental disabilities and large breasts as a child.

It was stated that Cornwell’s condition caused him to develop motor and language skills late and gave him large breasts as a boy, which led to repeated teasing.

Cornwell’s public defenders cited the medical condition in seeking mercy, and they also said Cornwell was abused by his father and fell under the influence of gangs as a teenager.

Cornwell’s sentence commutation was described alongside a statement that it would spare him death and that his life sentence would be without the possibility of parole.

Cornwell was described as the third death row inmate that year to be spared by the governor.

Aftermath

It was stated that Seventeen men had been put to death since Strickland took office in 2007.

It was stated that the decision was the last Strickland must make regarding a death penalty case, and that he had been defeated in the election and would be succeeded by Republican John Kasich in January.

The next execution was described as scheduled for Feb. 17.

It was also stated that Kasich may have to address concerns about a shortage of a lethal injection drug that had prompted execution delays across the country.