24 December 2020 :
Ohio Supreme Court overturns death penalty for Damantae Graham. The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the death sentence of a man convicted of fatally shooting a Kent State University student during a February 2016 robbery. The court upheld the convictions of Damantae Graham, 23, Black, but found the death penalty to be “disproportionate and excessive” due to other factors including Graham’s young age, background, mental health and substance abuse. Graham had been found guilty in Portage County of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and kidnapping in connection with the Feb. 7, 2016 death of Nicholas Massa during a robbery. Prosecutors say Graham, who was 19 at the time, and 2 17-year-olds robbed the people in an apartment. Writing for the court, Justice Patrick F. Fischer said Massa’s “tragic and senseless death was a result of a poorly thought out and horrifically executed robbery of a drug dealer by a group of teenagers.” Graham’s case was returned to trial court for resentencing.
