Ohio Supreme Court stays execution for East Cleveland serial killer Michael Madison
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The Ohio Supreme Court has stayed the execution of convicted East Cleveland serial killer Michael Madison, who was scheduled to be put to death in May.
Justices on Wednesday ordered Madison’s execution to be put off until he has exhausted all appeals and state post-conviction proceedings.
Madison, 46, was convicted of killing Shirellda Terry, Angela Deskins and Shetisha Sheely, whose bodies were found in plastic bags near Madison’s East Cleveland home in 2013.
Jurors in May 2016 found Madison guilty on all six counts of aggravated murder and recommended the death sentence. He was sentenced to die the following June and given a May 15, 2024, execution date.
Attorneys with the Office of the Ohio Public Defender argued Madison is entitled to a stay until he exhausts one round of post-conviction relief and a motion for delayed reconsideration.
Madison could seek post-conviction relief if he claims his constitutional rights were violated during his criminal proceedings. A post-conviction relief petition was filed in December.
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All executions in Ohio have been effectively on hold since 2020. Gov. Mike DeWine that year created an unofficial moratorium by requiring an alternative execution method to lethal injection, citing the state’s difficulty in sourcing the necessary drugs, reported The Associated Press.
The state’s last execution was in July 2018. As of January, there were 119 convicts on death row in the state, AP reported that month.
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