John Warren Parsons

Background

John Warren Parsons was from Chillicothe, Ohio. He was wanted as an FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and escape, following charges that included aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, weapons under disability, tampering with evidence, and grand theft.

The offence

On April 21, 2005, Chillicothe Police responded to a report of a stolen car being taken from a restaurant. About 15 minutes later, a disguised armed man robbed the BP Gas Station. The getaway car used in the robbery matched the description of the vehicle stolen earlier.

After being chased by a Chillicothe police officer, the suspect bailed out of the car and ran. At around 10 pm, off-duty officer Larry Cox walked from his parent's house to his own and joined the foot chase. Cox confronted the robber in an alleyway near Chestnut and North High Streets. Cox was shot and killed in the alley.

Investigation

Investigators used multiple clues to identify John Parsons. Evidence prosecutors discussed in court included:

• A confession in which Parsons apologized to the Cox family and told investigators that he burned evidence of what happened that night.
• Parsons’ half-brother telling investigators that Parsons told him he thought he killed a cop that night.
• A fence post with bullets in it that investigators pulled from the place where Parsons did target practice.
• The bullets matching the bullet found in Officer Cox's body.

Parsons was twice featured on the Fox Network television show America's Most Wanted while he was a fugitive. He appeared for a third time on that program on September 30, 2006, when he became the 484th fugitive to be placed on the Ten Most Wanted list.

Arrest and capture

John Parsons was captured on October 19, 2006, in eastern Chillicothe. He was arrested without incident by members of the Ross County Tactical Assault Team at approximately 12:20 pm at a small shack near the Chillicothe city limits.

After arrest, he was booked into the Ross County Jail and then transferred to the Ohio Corrections Reception Center in Orient, Pickaway County, Ohio, southwest of Columbus.

Escape

John Parsons escaped from the Ross County jail on Saturday July 29, 2006. He asked his mother for help escaping, but she was arrested before plans could be made. Parsons made a rope from bedsheets and toilet paper and hid it behind a brick in the wall of his room. He used toothpaste to disguise the broken mortar around the loose brick.

After his escape, there were numerous reported sightings of Parsons in heavily wooded areas near Chillicothe.

Trial and plea

On December 8, 2006, Parsons stood before Judge William Jenkins “Jhan” Corzine III in Ross County Common Pleas Court shortly after 3 pm and pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated murder and other charges.

In court, Parsons pleaded guilty to:

• four counts of aggravated murder
• one count of aggravated robbery
• one count of having weapons under disability
• one count of tampering with evidence
• two counts of grand theft
• one count of escape

Parsons said he had nothing else to add to what prosecutors and his lawyers said.

Sentencing

On December 8, 2006, Parsons was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The death penalty was not applied.

Parsons was currently serving his sentence at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, Ohio.

Appeals

No appeals were mentioned.

Outcome

John Parsons was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on December 8, 2006.

Aftermath

After the escape, law enforcement identified reported leads and arrests connected to the escape, including:

• Law enforcement launch a massive search effort for the escaped prisoner, focusing on a wooded area near Chillicothe where they believed Parsons was hiding.
• Police later called off the ground search, stating the search had become a nationwide manhunt.
• Police arrested Orlando Crockett, a former employer of Parsons, and charged him with aiding and abetting an escape; the charges against Crockett were later dropped.
• Parsons’ mother, Debra Flesher, was also arrested for alleged involvement in helping her son escape.
• Law enforcement searched an area along Three Locks Road in Ross County after receiving a tip that someone matching Parsons’ description was seen running from an abandoned cabin into the nearby woods.
• A truck driver reported seeing John Parsons at a Sunoco near Three Locks Road.
• Law enforcement used bloodhounds to track Parsons’ scent.

Timeline

• April 21, 2005 — A masked gunman robbed a local gas station, a stolen car report occurred, and officer Larry Cox was shot and killed in an alleyway near Chestnut and North High Streets.
• May 2005 — John Parsons was indicted and charged with aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, robbery, and two counts of grand theft.
• August 2005 — Parsons was moved from the Pickaway County Jail to the Ross County Jail.
• July 29, 2006 — Parsons escaped from the Ross County Jail.
• July 29 to August 2, 2006 — Law enforcement launched a massive search effort for the escaped prisoner.
• August 3, 2006 — Authorities called off the ground search for Parsons and described it as a nationwide manhunt.
• August 2006 — Orlando Crockett was arrested and charged with aiding and abetting an escape; the charges against Crockett were later dropped; Debra Flesher was also arrested.
• September 30, 2006 — Parsons appeared on America’s Most Wanted for a third time and became the 484th fugitive to be placed on the Ten Most Wanted list.
• October 19, 2006 — Parsons was captured behind the Eastern Avenue Lumber Company in east Chillicothe.
• December 8, 2006 — Parsons pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated murder and other charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Other details

John Parsons was described as a 35-year-old inmate at the time of the July 29, 2006 escape. The search and investigation involved an area along Three Locks Road in Ross County, an abandoned cabin, and a Sunoco near Three Locks Road. The reward for his capture reached $125,000.