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A Reporting Project of the Kent State University School of Media and Journalism

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Ryan Place shooter sentenced to death

Kyle Samec 0 Comments

Video by: Lauren Stebelton

Story by: Skye McEowen and Sam Lough

On February 7, now-19-year-old Damantae D. Graham shot and killed Kent State freshman Nicholas Massa at Ryan Place apartments.

Three intruders wearing bandanas invaded Massa’s friend’s apartment on Super Bowl Sunday and demanded money.

While held at gunpoint, Massa said the men wouldn’t shoot. In response, Graham shot Massa. Connor Haithcock, a resident of the apartment, called 911 once the men left.

“Police officers and paramedics responded. When we arrived on scene, we learned that 18-year-old Nick Massa, a Kent State freshman, was deceased at the scene,” said Kent City Police Administrative Lieutenant Michael Lewis, in describing the narrative of the incident.

“Keep breathing, bro. Keep your eyes open,” Haithcock could be heard saying just as the dispatcher answered. At the time, the only suspect identified was 17-year-old Ty Kremling.

Investigators followed leads and witness tips to track down the suspects, including a secondary call to 911 where a witness described a green Dodge truck driving away.

“We followed those leads to develop and turn into more suspects,” Lewis said. “Within, I want to say 3 or 4 days, we had had identified pretty much everybody that was involved in the incident.”

Marquis Grier, a suspect with Graham and Kremling, was arrested on February 10 and was held without bond at the Portage County Juvenile Detention Center. All three suspects were tried as adults.

Upon investigation of the incident, police found drug-related issues were involved the night Massa was shot.

“(Kremling) had seen cash in the apartment when he was there before making his drug purchases,” Lewis said. “Their intention was to go there and rob them of money—money that was made from drug transactions.”

Lewis said he believes Massa was simply there at the wrong place and the wrong time. Investigators did not find any information suggesting otherwise.

However, Lewis stressed the dangers of any sort of drug involvement, no matter the party.

“To be a round (drugs) in any way shape or form can be very, very dangerous,” He said.

Once the trial for Graham began officially, Massa’s friends and family attended to follow through with the verdict and sentencing to the very end.

As the jury found Graham guilty of all six counts, a clap could be heard from the people attending to support Massa.

“(Massa) took a bullet that put this kid (Graham) in jail,” said Joe Massa, Nicholas Massa’s father. Joes wife, Jackie Massa, also attended along with one of the witnesses and residents from Ryan Place.

After months of trials and investigations, the jury recommended the death penalty to Graham on November 8 for aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and three counts of kidnapping. All but aggravated murder are considered to be first-degree felonies.

Grier and Kremling both pleaded guilty later that month and were sentenced to life in prison with a chance of parole after 15 years.

“This was a tragic event—we said that from day one,” Lewis said. “Something like this really impacts everyone. It’s not just Kent State University, it’s the city of Kent. It hits everyone involved.”

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Number of death row sentences per Ohio county since 1999

Story by: Kyle Samec

As of the latest annual capital punishment report in 2013 by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Ohio has sentenced 419 people to death row since 1973 – of those 419, only 52 have been executed.

After the reenactment of the state’s death penalty sentence in 1973, it wasn’t until 1999 for the first death by lethal injection to occur, and the latest execution was in 2014, according to a report by the Death Penalty Information Center.

The biggest year for death penalty sentences was in 1977 when 25 were given the ultimate conviction. Since 1999 when there were 10 placed on death row, there has been a steady decrease in that number, with seven being the largest amount sentenced in a single year.

In 2011, the Bureau of Justice Statistics annual death penalty report said Ohio was tied with Texas for the largest decrease in the number of death penalty sentences, down eight each from 2010.

There is a significant variance in Ohio county’s death penalty sentences since 1999, according to data from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction gathered by The Columbus Dispatch.

Only four counties have placed 10 or more convicts on death row, with 27 from Hamilton county being the most. Cuyahoga comes in second with 16, followed by Franklin with 12 and Lucas with 11.  Three counties have none – Erie, Preble and Wayne.

Portage county has had two death row sentences since 1999.

There have been 137 death penalty convictions (excluding those officially executed in Ohio. Below is a breakdown of how many people have been sentenced from each county.

Source: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction gathered by The Columbus Dispatch

 

19-year-olds who have received the death penalty

Story by: Sam Lough

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Damantae D. Graham is the youngest person to be given the death penalty in Portage County. Graham was convicted of aggravated murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary in the death of Kent State Freshman Nicholas Massa. Graham is the second nineteen-year-old to be given the death penalty sentence in Ohio.

Austin Myers became the youngest person to be on Ohio’s death row in 2014 for killing 18-year-old Justin Back. He and Timothy Mosley planned for two days to rob Back, thinking he had 20,000 dollars in his Warren County home. The two tried to strangle Back before Mosley stabbed him three times, the Huffington post explained of the 2014 murder.

Although Mosley was said to stab the victim Judge Oda thought without Myers, who chose and planned Back’s demise. Mosley had no real disposition to kill,”said Judge Oda.

Both executions are said to take a while as all death row cases go through the Ohio Supreme court. The judges in each case said they sentences were in accordance with the actions taken by the defendant.

Judge Laurie J. Pittman said in the case of the Graham “I have a clear conscious. I’ve sat six inches from you and have seen no remorse or humanity in your eyes.”

Judge Donald Oda told Myers “You showed no emotion upon the reading of the sentence.”

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Kent police and fraternity brothers speak on Massa’s Death

Video by: Lauren Stebelton and Kyle Dawson

Story: Eric Poston and Lauren Rathmell

Overwhelmed and distort is the way President of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity Brandon Gonos describes hearing about the death of Kent State freshman Nicholas Massa, who was shot nine months ago at Ryan’s place apartments in Kent. Massa was in the pledge process, but was yet to be initiated to the fraternity. Gonos said he had just seen Massa an hour or two before the shooting at a chapter meeting.

“He made everyone laugh just being Nick, good old goofy Nick,” Gonos said.

Gonos said at first, he didn’t believe the news, but then reality began to sink in.

“It really cut in deep and it still hurts us all today,” Gonos said. “He was an awesome guy.”

The loss hit hard for members of the fraternity and Gonos said he called an emergency meeting after the news broke. A national consultant for the fraternity came to help with media inquiries.

“Every day there was at least 20 guys here at all times, it was awesome,” Gonos said. “Everyone had each other’s backs.”

Nightly meetings took place allowing for members to open up and share feelings about Massa. A vigil by the fraternity also took place to remember Massa.

Damantae D. Graham, who shot Massa, recently got the death penalty.

“He made his decision to take the life of Nick and he deserves everything that is coming to him,” Gonos said. “That is the nicest way to put it.”

Ethan Comeriato was in Massa’s pledge class and remembers him well.

“We all came in complete strangers and he was my brother by the end,” Comeriato said.

Comeriato said the fraternity always bonded and spent a lot of time together.

“He was an awesome guy, he was always happy,” Comeriato said.

Gonos is proud that he recruited Massa to the fraternity and said he was close with him.

“He was just always jolly, laughing, smiling and cracking jokes, he was easy to be around,” Gonos said.

Gonos didn’t realize the impact he had on Massa until he spoke with his Massa’s mother and she said Massa always talked about Gonos.

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