ELYRIA, Ohio — The calls to exonerate four men convicted in a 1991 Lorain murder have intensified in the weeks since the Lorain County prosecutor filed a motion for a new trial.
“I want this behind me. I want it behind for the people of Lorain County. [There’s] no need to keep going through this for 30 years now,” Alfred Cleveland told News 5.
Cleveland and Lenny Edwards were joined by supporters during a rally outside the Lorain County courthouse Wednesday.
“This is the case that you should be talking about - nothing else,” social justice preacher Rev. Kevin McCall said to the crowd.
Cleveland and Edwards have already served prison sentences for the 1991 killing of Marsha Blakely. Their co-defendants, John “Shakim” Edwards and Benson Davis, are still incarcerated for the crime.
“I got out in 2020 and I’m still trying to, I guess, integrate,” Lenny told News 5.
Collectively, the men have become known as “the Ohio 4.”
All four were convicted of the murder and were suspected in the death of Blakely’s roommate Floyd Epps. In the summer of 1991, Epps was found dead 8 hours before Blakely’s body was discovered in a Lorain alley with torture-style wounds. Investigators believed the killings were related, though no suspect was ever convicted for Epps’ death.
The prosecutor’s office offered a $2,000 reward when the investigation stalled. According to court documents, a witness accepted the reward money, an additional $2,000–$3,000 for his deposition testimony, and a relocation stipend. The man claimed to have firsthand knowledge of Blakely’s torture and murder by Cleveland, Davis and Lenny and John Edwards.
During the criminal proceedings, prosecutors said the men killed Blakely because she owed them money for drugs.
Attorneys for the convicted men point out inconsistencies between the physical evidence and the witness’s story. They also say the man waffled on his testimony, at one point recanting his story under oath and more recently signing an affidavit saying he never actually witnessed the murder.
“You can never hang a case on such a witness and the information that they had,” Cleveland said.
Attorneys, advocacy groups, and the current Lorain County Prosecutor have all analyzed the case and concluded the convictions are not based on reliable evidence.
“These men had nothing to do with this crime, their convictions should be vacated immediately and the charges against them should be dismissed,” said Lenny’s attorney Kimberly Kendall Corral.
Earlier this month, county prosecutor JD Tomlinson filed a joint motion with defense counsel for a new trial and he intends to request all charges dismissed against the “Ohio 4.”
RELATED: Lorain Co. prosecutor requests new trial for men convicted of 1991 murder
A county judge must grant the motion before it can move forward. After a lost re-election bid, Tomlinson’s term will end in a few weeks, and supporters hope for action before a new prosecutor takes office.
“They should not spend another day in prison if they should not be there,” said Marvin Cotton Jr., the vice president of the Detroit-based Organization of Exonerees, during Wednesday’s rally.
Cleveland and Lenny said they want long-awaited justice and their reputations restored.
“For so many years, I’ve had this label. And I’m hoping we can get it taken care of,” said Lenny.
If the matter is not resolved before the end of Tomlinson’s term, incoming county prosecutor Tony Cillo told News 5 he intends to analyze the case, consult with investigators and the victim’s family, then consider how to proceed. He expects a hearing would be necessary to formalize any action.
