Riot testimony called a lie

Roger Snodgrass made the statements to Emanuel Newell while the two men were at the Toledo Correctional Institution in August, just before Snodgrass was released on parole, according to Newell's affidavit. Newell, of Cleveland, remains there.

"Snodgrass told me what he did to save his own life," Newell said in the affidavit. "He said, I lied on George [Skatzes]. It was his life or mine.' "

Some of the lawyers for four men on death row hope the sworn statement could shine additional light onto how prosecutors obtained testimony in the Lucasville trials and affect the men's appeals.

Skatzes, Jason Robb, James Were and Carlos Sanders were convicted for their role in the 1993 uprising that killed guard Robert Vallandingham and nine inmates.

Appeals for the four men are winding through state and federal courts, and Newell's affidavit is expected to be filed in a few of the cases.

"If, in fact, Snodgrass made those statements, then they need to be investigated," said Michael Benza, Robb's attorney. "If he made those statements, there needs to be an inquiry into his role, not just about what he said before he was released, but his involvement during the riot."

Prosecutors have maintained that Snodgrass was truthful on the stand and that he was consistent in his statements. He testified in five trials, including against Robb and Skatzes, who, like Snodgrass, were members of the Aryan Brotherhood.

"I would never have put him on the stand if he were not truthful," said Daniel Hogan, who prosecuted Lucasville cases. "We made it clear to them: If they lied to us, we were done with them."

Repeated attempts to reach Snodgrass, who lives in Cincinnati, and his family were unsuccessful.

In his affidavit, Newell said he and Snodgrass met 16 times and discussed the riot, prosecutors' roles in the cases and testifying for authorities.

That they talked at all is somewhat amazing.

On April 21, 1993, in the midst of the riot, Snodgrass pummeled Newell with a baseball bat, according to court documents. The beating, according to documents and interviews, stemmed from Snodgrass' fear that Newell was stashing weapons in a prison gym to attack Snodgrass and others. He was not charged in Newell's beating.

Snodgrass, 36, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the slaying of inmate Earl Elder, and he attacked several others, according to testimony in the trials. He was sentenced to five to 25 years in prison in the slaying.

Newell, 45, has a violent temper that has gone off with guards and inmates, prison records show.

The men made peace in Toledo, despite guards' attempts to keep them separated. Newell said in the affidavit he put his arm around Snodgrass and said, "I could have got you, but it's over."

Newell said Snodgrass showed him letters from Lucasville prosecutors to the Ohio Parole Board that mentioned Snodgrass' cooperation.

Newell says in the affidavit that Snodgrass lied about Skatzes or prosecutors said they "would put him on death row."

"The prosecutors told Snodgrass that they didn't care about the inmates who got killed, and they didn't care that Snodgrass had tried to kill me. They wanted the guys who killed the guard," Newell said.

Staughton Lynd, who has defended inmates' rights and wrote the book, "Lucasville: The Untold Story of a Prison Uprising," said Newell's affidavit about Snodgrass and the work of prosecutors "is consistent with what he has heard from other inmates involved in the riot."

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