Miss-Delectable
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Deaf man sentenced for Akron murder
A deaf Akron man, who can't speak, was sentenced to 55 years to life in prison on multiple felonies including the murder of a 45-year-old woman.
Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Teodosio announced guilty verdicts on seven counts before handing down the sentence on Friday afternoon for 24-year-old Jerron Johnson.
Prosecutors believe this was the first case of a deaf defendant being prosecuted for such serious crimes in Summit County's history.
Johnson raped and strangled Jean Zienka in her Akron home in October 2001. Johnson lived behind Zienka's home.
In the courtroom, Zienka's sister, Lynn Nabors, talked about her emotional pain.
"The thought and the sight of her dead on the floor fills me with grief and terror," Nabors said.
DNA evidence linked Johnson to the killing, but justice was delayed for several years to allow Johnson to learn sign language, which was used throughout his trial.
"He was able to understand the proceedings. He was engaged in the proceedings and he had the best deaf interpreters in the state of Ohio," said Teri Burnside, assistant Summit County prosecutor.
The defense said Johnson grew up in a home where relatives forced him to sell drugs, his mother went to prison and he wasn't taught sign language as a child. Johnson was not born deaf. His deafness resulted from an untreated ear infection he had when he was 7 months old.
"This man is here not because he was born this way, but because of neglect, because of a lack of mental care, a lack of health care," said defense attorney Don Malarcik.
Johnson was convicted of aggravated murder, three counts of rape, kidnapping, attempted rape and aggravated burglary.
Ten days after Zienka's murder, Johnson attempted to rape another woman who lived near his home. He dragged the victim behind a house and was tearing at her clothes, but she got away.
In November 2002, Johnson broke into a home, also in his neighborhood, and raped a different woman.
Prosecutors asked the judge for the maximum penalty which would have been 78 years to life in prison.
But, Burnside said she was satisfied with the 55 years to life sentence.
"Our concern is public safety and we wanted to make sure that he was off the streets as long as possible," Burnside said.
A deaf Akron man, who can't speak, was sentenced to 55 years to life in prison on multiple felonies including the murder of a 45-year-old woman.
Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Teodosio announced guilty verdicts on seven counts before handing down the sentence on Friday afternoon for 24-year-old Jerron Johnson.
Prosecutors believe this was the first case of a deaf defendant being prosecuted for such serious crimes in Summit County's history.
Johnson raped and strangled Jean Zienka in her Akron home in October 2001. Johnson lived behind Zienka's home.
In the courtroom, Zienka's sister, Lynn Nabors, talked about her emotional pain.
"The thought and the sight of her dead on the floor fills me with grief and terror," Nabors said.
DNA evidence linked Johnson to the killing, but justice was delayed for several years to allow Johnson to learn sign language, which was used throughout his trial.
"He was able to understand the proceedings. He was engaged in the proceedings and he had the best deaf interpreters in the state of Ohio," said Teri Burnside, assistant Summit County prosecutor.
The defense said Johnson grew up in a home where relatives forced him to sell drugs, his mother went to prison and he wasn't taught sign language as a child. Johnson was not born deaf. His deafness resulted from an untreated ear infection he had when he was 7 months old.
"This man is here not because he was born this way, but because of neglect, because of a lack of mental care, a lack of health care," said defense attorney Don Malarcik.
Johnson was convicted of aggravated murder, three counts of rape, kidnapping, attempted rape and aggravated burglary.
Ten days after Zienka's murder, Johnson attempted to rape another woman who lived near his home. He dragged the victim behind a house and was tearing at her clothes, but she got away.
In November 2002, Johnson broke into a home, also in his neighborhood, and raped a different woman.
Prosecutors asked the judge for the maximum penalty which would have been 78 years to life in prison.
But, Burnside said she was satisfied with the 55 years to life sentence.
"Our concern is public safety and we wanted to make sure that he was off the streets as long as possible," Burnside said.
