Eric Hendon likely will be joining his brother, Michael, in spending the rest of his life in prison for a triple murder.
But, like Michael, his life will be spared.
After seven hours of deliberations, a Summit County jury delivered a verdict of life without parole Thursday night for Eric Hendon, who faced the death penalty.
Hendon, 33, of Akron, will officially be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. May 4 by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Amy Corrigall Jones. She cannot, however, impose death.
Loved ones of both the victims and Hendon, who weren’t in court for the verdict, were pleased by the decision of the jury of seven men and five women.
“Life in prison is fine with me,” said Ronda Blankenship, the girlfriend of John Kohler, one of three people who were killed in the New Year’s Eve 2013 shooting spree in which Blankenship was stabbed and shot in the face. “He’s going to be put in general population and general population is not going to like him because he killed kids.”
“At least I know he won’t be out on the streets trying to do that to another person again,” Blankenship continued.
Tina Hendon Evans, Eric’s older sister who testified about their abusive childhood during the sentencing phase of the trial, said her brother likely will appeal, but she is relieved he wasn’t sentenced to death.
“It still hurts,” she said. “That’s my brother.”
The same jurors who weighed Hendon’s punishment found him guilty April 7 of numerous charges stemming from the shooting deaths of Kohler, 42; his son, David Carpenter-Kohler, 14; and David’s sister, Ashley Carpenter, 18; and the attempted murder of Blankenship, Kohler’s girlfriend. The shootings happened during a home-invasion robbery for a small amount of drugs and money in the Kohler home.
Another jury previously convicted Michael Hendon, 24, Eric’s younger brother, in August of complicity to commit aggravated murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was deemed mentally unfit to be put to death.
For Eric Hendon, jurors decided between four options: death, life without parole, life with parole possibility after 30 years, or life with parole possibility after 25 years.
Hendon showed little emotion Thursday about 8:45 p.m. when Jones read the jurors’ verdicts. Afterward, he gave a small smile when Don Malarcik, one of this two defense attorneys, slapped him on the back.
“There was a compelling case for life,” Malarcik said. “We’re glad the jury saw that.”
None of the jurors were willing to comment as they left, but one of them stopped and shook Malarcik’s hand.
“I was impressed with both of you,” he said, nodding at Malarcik and Brian Pierce, Hendon’s other attorney.
Malarcik and Pierce criticized the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office for continuing to pursue death penalty cases that result instead in life sentences and waste taxpayer dollars. Eight out of the last nine death-penalty cases drew life sentences.
“The message should be clear: Stop seeking death,” Malarcik said.
Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, however, said in an emailed statement Thursday night that her office prosecutes about 50 murder cases per year and only a small number are death-penalty cases.
“Eric Hendon executed a father and his two innocent children in cold blood,” Walsh said. “He attempted to execute a fourth victim by shooting her in the eye and stabbing her in the face. This case is one of the most horrific cases we have ever seen. When multiple people are murdered, Ohio law provides that the death penalty may be considered by the jury.”
“We felt strongly that Hendon deserved the maximum sentence allowed by law,” Walsh continued. “It is, however, the role of the jury to make the ultimate finding and we respect their decision.”
Malarcik argued passionately in his closing argument Thursday morning for jurors to consider a life sentence, pointing to evidence presented during the sentencing phase that showed Hendon’s abusive childhood living with a single mother who was addicted to drugs and alcohol and in and out of prison. Experts for the defense said these childhood experience increase the likelihood of Hendon having violent tendencies.
“He was raised in chaos,” Malarcik said, pointing to a childhood photo of Eric with two of his brothers. “These boys suffered.”
Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Teri Burnside, however, argued that what Hendon did warranted the ultimate punishment.
“He had a bad childhood,” she told the jurors. “That does not take away from the fact that he committed these murders.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705, swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.