As of April 30, 2020 28 inmates have died from the Coronavirus in Ohio’s state prisons. Seven names have been reported and all of them were violent inmates. Below are the details regarding their horrific crimes. We will update the cases on this page as more information becomes available.

NEW CASE Romulus Nedea kidnapped and sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl, assaulted a guard and attempted to escape, and exposed himself to young girls all three times he was granted parole

Case Summary

Inmate Nedea was serving an 8-65 year sentence for the crimes of Sodomy, Assault against a Child under 16, Child Stealing, Attempted Escape and Wounding an Officer.

The offenses involve Nedea driving by a swimming pool in 1969 and engaging a 7-year-old girl in conversation. He asked her to take a ride with him and when she refused and tried to run away, he grabbed her and drug her to his car. He drove to a remote location while fondling her. He then stopped his car and performed oral sex upon the victim.

Nedea was apprehended and sent to Lima State Hospital where he escaped after assaulting a guard. He was apprehended and again confined in prison.

Since that time, Nedea was paroled three times, and each time he has returned to prison for exposing himself to young girls in stores. He has only been charged with misdemeanor offenses each time, but he continually violates his supervision with sexually related behavior against minors. Nedea denied exposing himself and claims he was too old to behave in that manner.

Due to Nedea’s criminal history of sexual offenses against young girls, and his repeat exposing behavior while on parole, he was deemed unsuitable for re-parole. He remained in prison until his death in April 2020 from the Coronavirus

NEW CASE Rodney Hobbs molested at least nine children multiple times over a period of nine years

Case Summary

Inmate Hobbs was serving an 8-year sentence consecutive to an 8 to 25-year sentence for the crimes of Rape and Gross Sexual Imposition (8 counts).

The crimes involved 9 minor victims and the duration was approximately 9 years. Hobbs, a volunteer fireman, was caught after a little girl witnessed Hobbs fondling her baby sister. The little girl told her parents what she had seen and the parents contacted police which led to Hobbs arrest. The abuses took place between 1984, 1987, 1992, and 1993 and all victims were under the age of 13. Hobb’s victims were both boys and girls.

Hobbs entered a plea of no contest to one count of rape and eight counts of gross sexual imposition. Hobbs received an 8-25 year sentence plus an addition eight years

Hobbs had maintained good institutional conduct and completed a Mandatory Sex Offender Program. However, he expressed no remorse and lacked insight into his offense behavior.

Given the nature of the offenses-sexual crimes against multiple minor victims, the duration of sexual offending against children, the lack of remorse and insight, Hobbs was deemed unsuitable for release.

Hobbs remained in prison until he died from the Coronavirus in April 2020.

James Zeigler murdered two men in cold-blood and attempted to kill his estranged wife

Case Summary

Inmate Zeigler served an aggregate Life-Life sentence for two counts of Shooting with Intent to Kill, one count of First-Degree Murder and one count of Second-Degree Murder.

The offense involved Zeigler entering the restaurant where his estranged wife Lucy worked and engaging in an argument with her. Zeigler forced her into the back room, and produced a handgun. As he was forcing her out of the restaurant, a patron, Asher Lee Wiley, attempted to intervene, at which time Zeigler shot him. The restaurant owner, Denis Raulerson, then approached Zeigler after he had forced his wife outside, at which time Zeigler shot him. Zeigler’s wife attempted to flee, but Zeigler chased her down and shot her three times. Zeigler attempted to flee the scene and flagged down a vehicle. As the vehicle was stopping, someone called out to the driver to warn him not to pick up Zeigler. The driver pulled away, at which time Zeigler shot at him. Mr. Wiley and Mr. Raulerson were killed. Zeigler’s estranged wife Lucy survived the shooting, but suffered permanent bodily injury. The driver who was shot at was not injured.

Zeigler’s prior record consists of a misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct/Resisting Arrest/Intoxication conviction.

Zeigler was granted parole in 2012 however the victims appealed and parole was reversed. Zeigler remained in prison until he died of the Coronavirus in April 2020.

James Woodward raped and repeatedly sexually assaulted his nine-year-old grandneice

Case Summary

On September 22, 2010, James Woodward was indicted for one count of rape, a first-degree felony, and one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. The charges stemmed from allegations that Woodward touched and digitally penetrated the genitals of his nine-year-old grandniece and performed oral sex on her.

At trial the grandniece testified that on numerous occasions, Woodward touched or penetrated her vagina with his fingers, telling her that it was their “secret.” She explained that Woodward would pull down her pajama pants and begin touching her genital area, typically while they watched a movie on the couch or in Woodward’s bedroom. On at least three other occasions, she testified Woodward “hid” her in his bathroom and forced her to submit to oral sex.

Following a jury trial, Woodward was convicted as charged and sentenced to an indefinite sentence of 15 years to life in prison on Count One, and a consecutive four-year sentence on Count Two.

Woodward died of the Coronavirus in April 2020. The young victim and her family will never have to deal with the ordeal of a parole hearing.

Charles Viney Jr. stabbed two men after being released for the cold-blooded murder of a Vietnam veteran

Case Summary

On April 23, 1972 Charles Viney Jr. entered the D and D Carryout in Springfield Ohio armed with a gun and intent on robbing the store. Thomas Morton, a Vietnam veteran, was working at the store when Viney walked in and demanded money. When Mr. Morton told a customer to call the police Viney shot him in the chest. The bullet went through Mr. Morton’s lung and he died at the hospital two hours later. Viney fled the scene and later turned himself into police. Viney originally pled not guilty by reason of insanity however later changed his plea to guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Inexplicably, in 1985 the parole board recommended that then Governor Richard Celeste commute Viney’s sentence and set him free. The Ohio Parole Board said Viney was a model prisoner and Celeste agreed to release him. Viney would not have to report a parole officer and was under no restrictions that could return him to prison. Viney was released February 17, 1987.

Viney had multiple run ins with the law over the next three years culminating on April 26, 1990. Viney got into an argument with two men in an alley and stabbed both of them. Police found Viney standing 10 feet from one of the victims who was stabbed in the chest. Viney had blood on him. Viney was found guilty of felonious assault for one of the stabbings and was sentenced from 8-15 years in prison. That sentence would be in addition to his life sentence for killing Thomas Morton.

Viney remained in prion until his death in April 2020 as a result of the Coronavirus.

Christopher Malone shot a man in cold-blood and later beat his cellmate

Case Summary

Christopher Malone in a written letter proclaimed himself “the Buffalo Soldier” and said he going to war with a “black devil” who recruited teens to sell crack. On March 16, 1987 Malone and an accomplice drove to a house where Malone believed a reputed cocaine dealer lived. As the car drove by the house Malone opened fire on Harold Morton who visiting the house and was washing a car in the driveway. Malone shot Mr. Norton twice in the legs with a small caliber handgun and then fired a fatal bullet to the right side of Mr. Norton’s chest with a shotgun. Malone was arrested a short time later after crashing his car during a police chase.

Malone originally pled not guilty by reason of insanity however later dropped his insanity defense. At trial a defiant Malone openly admitted to killing Mr. Norton. Montgomery County assistant prosecutor John Slavens called it “a brutal, brutal execution.” He also quoted Malone’s letter in which he wrote, “I will leave fire and death in my path.” Based on the evidence and Malone’s own admission a jury found him guilty of murder. Immediately after being found guilty Malone said he didn’t kill anyone and made up all his statements. Malone was sentenced 18 years to life in prison.

In May 1997 Malone was convicted of felonious assault after beating his cellmate at Warren Correctional Institution. Malone had to be strapped to his chair and frequently swore at the judge during the trial. He received an additional 8 years in prison for this crime.

Malone remained behind bars until he died of the Coronavirus in April 2020.

Richard Berger strangled 25-year-old Starr Pawliczka to death

Case Summary

On April 18, 2016 25-year-old Starr Pawliczka was unresponsive in the apartment of Richard Berger. Berger met Starr at her job and the two became friends. Berger had offered Starr, who was trying to get her life turned around after quitting heroine, a safe place to stay. According to Starr’s mother,“She was there just to get clean and have a place to go where no one could find her.”

The day of Starr’s death Berger allowed Starr to remain unconcsious for an hour before calling 911 at about 3:45AM to report Starr needed medical attention. Berger said he did not know what was wrong with Starr, and he believed she may have had a seizure or had overdosed. According to Berger, Starr was conscious when he made the call however paramedics found her unconscious with injuries “possibly related to blunt force trauma.” Police reports also showed symptoms of a possible drug overdose. Starr was taken to the hospital where she passed away the next day.

While police initially did not have enough evidence to arrest Berger they continued to work with Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office and the F.B.I.

Two years later, on April 14, 2018, police had enough evidence to arrest Berger and charged him with the murder of Starr Pawliczka. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded Starr was murdered after it was determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma injuries and neck compression. Detectives determined Starr was strangled. A detective stated, “Based on the way the injuries looked, the medical examiner was able to give a pretty exact time of when that happened,” she said. “He was the only person who could have caused those injuries.”

Facing a wealth of evidence Berger agreed to plead guilty involuntary manslaughter and corrupting another with drugs. The Corrupting Another with Drugs charged involved Berger providing drugs to Starr before her death. Berger was sentenced to 10 years in prison on November 12, 2019.

Berger died in prison from the Coronavirus in April 2020.