Akron man who was sentenced to life in prison for murder as a juvenile is granted parole

An Akron man has spent more than half of his life in prison for his role in a robbery and shooting death that happened when he was 17.

The Ohio Parole Board decided this was enough time Wednesday and granted Leroy Anderson his freedom by a vote of 8-0.

Anderson, who is now 45, is expected be released in two months to first live in a halfway house in Akron and then with his sister or father in Barberton, both of whom spoke on his behalf to the parole board.

Adremy Dennis, Anderson’s best friend and codefendant who was 18 when this crime happened, was executed in 2014.

Anderson, 45, was sentenced to life in prison, but because he was a juvenile when the crime occurred in 1994, he became eligible for a parole hearing under a new juvenile parole law that went into effect last April.

The new law requires parole hearings for those incarcerated as juveniles based on what crimes they were convicted of and how much time they’ve served. Anderson was convicted of one homicide, and was eligible for a hearing because he’s served more than 25 years.

More:Families of slain Akron women upset law offers parole chance

Anderson is among the first people from Summit County convicted as juveniles who have received hearings under the new law.

Another was Clinton “Clint” Dickens, who was sentenced to life in prison for the rape, torture and murder of two University of Akron sorority sisters in 1986. Richard Cooey, Dickens’ co-defendant who was two years older than him, was executed.

Dickens had a parole hearing in January, but the board announced in April that his release had been denied. He will next be eligible for parole in November 2026.

Statewide, 575 people will be eligible for an earlier parole consideration than they would have under the new law. So far, though, only 12 of the 200 juvenile offenders who have had hearings have been granted parole, according to a recent Columbus Dispatch story.

More:Merits of juvenile bill debated on Know You Know Akron podcast

Two Akron teens arrested for man's shooting death during robbery

Anderson and Dennis were arrested in June 1994 and charged with robbing and fatally shooting Kurt Kyle.

Anderson, who was a ninth grader at the time, told police he and Dennis were intoxicated and were out looking for someone to rob. Police said Dennis was the triggerman, while Anderson carried a handgun that wasn’t operable.

Kyle, 29, was a businessman and amateur race car driver. The night before he was killed, he won his first pursuit race at Barberton Speedway.

After years of appeals and a clemency request that was rejected, Dennis was executed by injection in October 2014. He was 28.

In interviews with the Beacon Journal and the parole board before his execution, Dennis expressed regret for firing a sawed-off, 20-gauge shotgun into Kyle’s head and robbing Kyle and his friend of $15.

“Everybody was young and dumb,” Dennis said during a parole board interview. “I don’t have an excuse. I knew better. It’s like embarrassing to me. Disgraceful.”

Anderson was tried as an adult and received a life sentence. He has been in prison since January 1995. He had a hearing in April before a parole board panel that recommended his release.

The Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, however, objected, which triggered a full parole board hearing.

Anderson expresses regret and remorse

During a hearing Wednesday, Carrie Wood, Anderson’s attorney, read a letter from Anderson in which he said he wishes he could go back in time and talk to his younger self.

“I have felt remorse from the moment this tragedy occurred,” he said.

Anderson said his mother drank heavily until he was 10 and his father moved to Michigan for a job, with him going back and forth between there and Akron.

After he got to prison, Anderson said, he got into fights and ended up in solitary confinement. He said things changed when he went to the Lucasville prison and found God.

Anderson said he started to think more positively and had a desire to improve and educate himself. Because of the classes he’s taken in prison, he said he hopes to get into a carpenter’s apprenticeship program if he is released. He said his goal will be to stay positive.

“During my incarceration, I’ve wondered what would have happened if I had been 18 instead of 17,” Anderson said. “Giving me this time was God’s way of saying, ‘You need to be still for a while.’”

Wood said Anderson has completed programs to better himself in prison and reconnected with family members, who have agreed to support him emotionally and financially if he is released.

Anderson's sister and father speak on his behalf

LaQueena, Anderson’s sister, said she has been corresponding with her brother once a week either by phone or email. She said she would be willing to provide him with a place to live and transportation. She has four daughters and said it would be nice to have a male relative live with them.

The parole board addresses family members by only their first names.

“As a family, we do what we have to do to make things work,” she said.

Leroy, Anderson’s father, said he worked for Chrysler for 39 years. He said he had to move to Detroit for a job and, after that, he said his son started hanging out with the wrong crowd.

“I wish I could have been there to steer him on the right direction,” he said. "Possibly, this might not have happened.”

He said his son plans to continue going to recovery meetings and hopes to mentor children not to go down the wrong path. If he saw Anderson veering off track, he said he would call his parole officer.

No one from Kyle’s family spoke, though his mother and brother did speak at a clemency hearing for Dennis.

Summit prosecutor speaks against Anderson's release

Brad Gessner, chief counsel for the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, said Anderson didn’t take advantage of prison programming until he learned that he could be eligible for release under the parole law.

Gessner said Anderson had more than 50 incidents while in prison, including assaulting a staff member. He said Anderson admitted that he and Dennis set up to rob people that night, and Anderson gave Dennis a long coat to wear that would conceal the shotgun that he carried.

“I think we have a lot to deal with,” Gessner said. “We may be taking things too fast here.”

Alicia Handwerk, the board’s chair, said Anderson sought prior programming while in prison but was put on wait lists. She said the philosophy has been to provide programs to inmates who are closer to being released, though that has recently changed.

Steve Herron, another board member, asked Gessner what else Anderson needs to do to prove he is suitable for parole.

Gessner suggested that the board keep Anderson in prison for another five years — the maximum permissible under the new law — and see that he gets the programming he needs during that time.

The board met in executive session, then returned to announce its unanimous decision. Anderson will be under a high level of supervision for five years, will need board approval for where he resides and will be required to complete any assigned programs, according to the board's decision.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron man who received life sentence as a teen is granted parole