Ivory Reed
Victim: Jack & Evelyn Washington
Case Summary
On February 3, 1970, Ivory Reed stabbed his neighbor Jack Washington to death and attempted to kill Mr. Washington’s wife, Evelyn, by stabbing her six times. Reed then went to the home of John Tinch and beat him to death with a metal table leg. A jury found Reed guilty of murder for killing Jack Washington and attempted murder for trying to kill Evelyn Washington. Reed was sentenced to death for his crimes, so the prosecutor did not pursue the murder charge in the Tinch case. In 1972, the death penalty was ruled unconstitutional and Reed’s sentence was commuted to life with parole eligibility.
JACK AND EVELYN WASHINGTON'S STORY
A Trail of Terror
On February 3, 1970, the 14-year-old daughter of Jack Washington came home from school to find her father stabbed to death and lying on the couch. She also found her mother, Evelyn, on the floor suffering from six near-fatal stab wounds (Mrs. Washington survived).
The assailant, Ivory Reed, a neighbor who was still in the home, grabbed the fourteen-year-old and sexually assaulted her. The girl somehow managed to escape and went to a neighbor’s house to call police.
Ivory Reed then went to the home of John Tinch, age 58, and beat Tinch over the head with a metal table leg in a dispute over a small debt. A neighbor scared Reed away. Tinch later died from his injuries.
Parolee Found Guilty of Murder
Reed, who had been out of institutions only two times for a total time of seven months in the previous 16 years, was charged with the murder of Jack Washington, the attempted murder of Evelyn Washington and the rape of their 14-year-old daughter. Reed was also charged with the first-degree murder of John Tinch.
Reed was on parole when he committed these horrific crimes. He had only been on parole three weeks.
During Reed’s trial, after being denied a motion to dismiss his court-appointed lawyers, Reed threatened a prospective juror, the judge and the assistant county prosecutors.
A jury found Reed innocent of the rape charge, however they sentenced him to death for the murder of Jack Washington, age 47, and the attempted murder of Evelyn Washington, age 37.
Due to the fact Reed received a death sentence, he was never tried for the first-degree murder of John Tinch.
Although he was sentenced to death, Reed’s sentence was commuted to life when The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, after considering the judgment of the Supreme Court of the United States in the cases of Lockett v. Ohio and Bell v. Ohio, modified that all Ohio death sentences be commuted to life imprisonment with the opportunity for parole.
No Parole
Ivory Reed has been committing crimes since the age of 13. Although he had spent 16 years in state institutions, Reed was completely unable to rehabilitate himself. In addition, Reed had been on parole for only three weeks when he committed his most recent crimes. Releasing Ivory Reed at any point would be a complete insult to Jack and Evelyn Washington and John Tinch. In addition, putting Reed back on the streets would pose a serious threat to the community. To further the interests of justice and to protect society, we urge The Ohio Parole Board to give Ivory Reed the maximum 10-year continuance at all future parole hearings.
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