COLUMBUS — The Ohio Parole Board has recommended mercy for a condemned inmate convicted of setting a Cleveland man on fire in a 1986 robbery, even as executions are on long-term hold.
Death row prisoner Gregory Lott is scheduled for execution on May 27, 2021. Records show Lott broke into John McGrath’s home, doused him with flammable lamp oil, set him on fire, ransacked his home and then stole McGrath’s car. The victim died 10 days after the attack.
The parole board on Friday ruled 6-2 against execution for Lott, citing opposition to putting Lott to death from McGrath’s family. One board member also said Lott should not be executed because of arguments that he is intellectually disabled.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office says Lott never fully acknowledged his guilt or accepted responsibility, and notes the crime was one in a long string of burglaries and assaults in which Lott targeted the elderly.
Gov. Mike DeWine has the final say, but regardless of his decision, it’s uncertain if Lott will ever face execution. The state can no longer find lethal drugs for executions and has repeatedly delayed them as a result.
