Next Parole Hearing : December 2017 

Thomas Birman shot his two young sons in the head while they were sleeping

Case Summary

Thomas Birman murdered his two young sons to get back at his wife for wanting a divorce .Jimmy and Tommy Birman were both shot in the head while they slept. Birman pled guilty to two counts of murder with weapon specifications to avoid the death penalty. Birman was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus three years for using a gun to commit his crimes.

Jimmy and Tommy Birman’s Story

A Typical Suburban Childhood

On Sunday August 4, 1991 Jimmy Birman, age 13, and Tommy Birman, age 11, were looking forward enjoying the remaining time of their summer vacation. The two boys spent that evening riding their bicycles around their typical suburban neighborhood, Jimmy, a seventh grader at Bennett Junior High School, and Tommy, a fifth grader at High Street Elementary School, were described by a neighbor as “real friendly kids.” The two brothers were very close and both played Little League baseball and football for their respective schools.

A Troubled Marriage Leads to Murder

Mrs. Birman was in the process of ending her deteriorating marriage with they boys father, Thomas Birman, who worked as a brick mason. That Sunday evening a neighbor reported that he assumed Mrs. Birman and her husband were fighting because “she took off and he took off right after her. She left in her car and he left in his truck.”

On Monday August 5, 1991 Mrs. Birman went to work leaving Thomas Birman with their children. When she returned home from her job at around 11:15 A.M. Thomas Birman locked her out of the house and refused to let her in. Concerned for they safety of her sons Mrs. Birman called local police. When police arrived and asked about the children Thomas Birman shut the door locked it. When police asked Birman if the boys were okay he said no. The officers then forced their way into the house and found Jimmy and Tommy dead in their beds. Both had been shot in the head with a small-caliber hands gun.

A Plea Deal To Avoid A Death Sentence

Thomas Birman was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated murder with gun specifications. He was facing the death penalty for the murder of his two sons. Authorities believed Birman did the murders in attempt to get back at his wife for wanting to divorce him. Birman pleaded innocent and innocent by reason of insanity and a psychiatric evaluation was ordered by Judge Robert Lindeman. Birman was found competent to stand trail and a trail date was set for Monday April 13, 1991.

Facing certain conviction and a very likely death sentence Thomas Birman decided to plead guilty to the murders of his sons with firearm specifications. In exchange for his plea agreement Birman was spared the death penalty. He was sentenced to consecutive (back-to-back) life sentences) plus three additional years for the firearm specification.

We can find nothing to indicate that Birman expresses any remorse for killing his sons.

No Parole

It gets no worse than Thomas Birman. Not only did he brutally murder two innocent children, he murdered his own sons in an effort to get back at his wife for wanting a divorce. Birman accepted a plea deal to avoid the penalty and that is the only deal he should receive. Thomas Birman is a ticking time bomb and putting him back on the streets would endanger any woman or child that crosses his path. Releasing Thomas Birman at any point would be a complete injustice to Jimmy and Tommy Birman and would demean his extreme cruelty to them, In order to further the interests of justice and protect society were urge the Ohio Parole Board to give Thomas Birman the maximum continuance of ten years at every parole hearing until he dies in prison.