CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County prosecutors will seek the death penalty against three men accused of torturing and killing a 14-year-old girl and burning her father alive in the car in East Cleveland in October 2018.
A grand jury issued a 15-count indictment charging Ronald Newberry, 23, Kodii D. Gibson, 22, and Demarcus Sheeley, 25, for the deaths of Paul Bradley, 39, and his 14-year-old daughter Paris.
Newberry, Gibson and Sheeley are charged with four counts of aggravated murder, two counts of kidnapping, one count of aggravated burglary, two counts of aggravated arson, two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and two counts of having weapons under disability, according to the indictment.
Police said Bradley and his daughter were forced out of their beds inside the family's Bedford home during a robbery. Police believe Paris was then tortured and eventually shot three times in the head in front of her father. Investigators believe Bradley, who was bound, was then burned alive inside a car with his daughter's body. Bradley's rental car was found burning in an abandoned lot off Savannah Avenue in East Cleveland.
Investigators called it one of the most heinous crimes they’ve worked.
“It’s difficult to understand how human beings can treat other human beings in this manner. The barbaric actions of these defendants are truly shocking. After careful consideration of the facts, circumstances, and evidence, the Capital Review Committee determined to add death specifications," Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said in a statement.
The fourth suspect in the case, Quentin Palmer, 26, does not face the death penalty if convicted. His trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 7 at 8:30 a.m.
"The fact that you would torture a 14-year-old girl, shoot her three times in the head, by all indication you know Paris was shot while Paul was still alive and Paul was burned alive, that just takes a peculiar personality to do that," said Commander Scott Gardner of the East Cleveland Police Department.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Newberry, Gibson and Sheeley on Aug. 2 at 9:00 a.m.
More coverage on this case:
$5 million bond set for two suspects in father-daughter murder in East Cleveland
Police identify suspect in deaths of father and daughter found in burning car in East Cleveland
2 bodies found in burning car in East Cleveland identified as father and 14-year-old daughter
