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Home John Spirko Spirko says he doesn't expect fair clemency hearing Spirko says he doesn't expect fair clemency hearing
Wednesday, 14 September 2005
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Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | Death row inmate John Spirko told the Dayton Daily News that he doesn't expect to get a fair hearing on his request for clemency in the 1982 stabbing death of rural postmistress Betty Jane Mottinger.
Spirko, who claims innocence, said he's a threat to the justice system "as long as I'm alive."
"I'm a danger to them because I'm innocent," he said. "I'm a danger to the system because they don't want to admit that."
Spirko, 59, was to die by lethal injection next Tuesday, but Gov. Bob Taft postponed the execution to Nov. 15 to give himself and the parole board extra time to consider clemency.
Spirko called the board's unprecedented decision to have a complete rehearing of his case just window dressing.
The new hearing, set for Oct. 12 in Columbus, is just designed "to dot the i's and cross the t's," Spirko said.