XENIA, Ohio — An Ohio death row inmate, David Lee Myers, 60, has been released on house arrest as he awaits a new trial for the 1988 murder of a pregnant teenage mother. Myers was released on Monday from the Greene County Courthouse after his conviction and death sentence were vacated, following claims from his attorneys that DNA evidence in the case does not match him.
Myers is accused of killing Amanda Jo Maher in 1988 by driving a railroad spike through her head. He had been on death row for decades until recent developments in the case led to his release under strict conditions. Myers must wear a GPS monitor, remain within the state, and is prohibited from consuming alcohol or drugs while awaiting his retrial.
The decision to release Myers has drawn strong reactions, particularly from the victim’s daughter, Sarah Sparkman, who was just eight months old when her mother was killed. Sparkman urged the judge to keep Myers in custody, expressing concerns over the potential risks of his release. “Why risk it? I have experienced a lifetime of emotional and psychological turmoil due to my mother’s death,” Sparkman said, according to WHIO, a local CBS affiliate.
Prosecutors argued against Myers’ release, highlighting his prior criminal record, including a 1986 forgery conviction and the fact that Myers was on probation for sexual battery at the time of Maher’s murder. They emphasized the severity of the original charges and expressed concern over public safety.
However, Myers’ defense attorney, Elizabeth Smith, argued that the new DNA evidence, which she claims clears her client, justifies his release. “He is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Smith told WDTN, a local NBC affiliate. “There’s no direct evidence here. All of the things that the state has said have been thrown out.”
Myers’ new trial is expected to further examine the evidence, including the DNA findings that have cast doubt on his original conviction. The case continues to unfold as the legal process moves forward.
