Lincoln Mabry

Becky Kerr's Story

A Promising Future

Becky Kerr was the oldest girl in a family of seven children. Becky, who was raised by a single mother, had a strong maternal instinct and was always there to help her mother with her six brothers and sisters. Becky loved to sew and often made clothes for her younger sisters. She especially loved Christmas and excelled at creating handmade Christmas ornaments. Becky was the first one to start decorating the Christmas tree and she always made sure it was adorned with lots of lights. Becky also had a passion for singing, and anyone in her car would always hear her singing along with the radio.

Becky would eventually be in the first class to graduate from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and soon after would give birth to her daughter, Melissa. Becky always wanted to be a mom and Melissa was her pride and joy. Becky was a single mother and still managed to put herself through college, and would eventually graduate with honors from Kent State University. After getting her degree, Becky became the first female building inspector for the Stark, Ohio Metropolitan Housing authority. When she was not working, Becky devoted all her time to Melissa and the two were inseparable. Becky had truly fulfilled all her dreams. Sadly, on February 15, 1980, all those dreams would be shattered by a monster named Lincoln Mabry.

A Bad Relationship Ends

Lincoln Mabry was a master con-artist and womanizer. The minute Mabry, a reported drug dealer, met Becky, he immediately found his next vulnerable victim. Mabry portrayed himself as a great guy and had no problem using his smooth-talking skills to win over Becky and her family. Mabry moved in with Becky, who had no idea Mabry was living with another woman at the same time. Mabry then stopped working and Becky was forced to pay all the rent, utilities and expenses, as well as pay for Mabry’s beer and cigarettes. Mabry paid Becky back by cheating on her regularly with other women.

As the relationship continued, Mabry became more and more controlling and physically abusive towards Becky. Initially, Mabry would leave bruises on Becky that no one could see. As time progressed, the beatings got worse. Mabry openly stated to Becky that if she left him, he would kill her. In late 1979, Mabry beat Becky so bad her coworkers found her passed out in the bathroom at work the following day and she had to be rushed to the doctor. A week later, Becky would endure an even worse beating. When Becky’s family saw her face covered in bruises, they said enough was enough. Becky’s older brother packed up her and Melissa’s belongings and moved them into a battered women’s shelter, where Becky believed she would be hidden and be protected. She was wrong.

Jealously and Rage Lead to Murder

On February 15, approximately one month after Becky moved out, a jealous Mabry could take it no more. He called Becky at work under the guise of asking whether he had left anything at their old residence. Mabry then started pressing Becky for her new address and phone number. Becky refused to give him any information and advised him she was seeing someone else, then ended the call. An enraged Mabry then had his mother drive him to a local bar where he had drinks with two friends.

Mabry’s jealousy and rage grew until it was time for Becky to get off work. He had his female friend drive him to Becky’s babysitter’s house and had them park in the street. When Becky arrived to pick up her daughter, Mabry sprinted across the neighbor’s lawn, pulled a gun, and forced Becky, her daughter and the babysitter into the house. He then confronted Becky and hit her across the face with the gun, causing her to bleed heavily. Mabry told the babysitter if she called the police, he would kill all of them. Mabry pushed Becky’s daughter into the back seat of the car and forced Becky into the driver seat while he got in the passenger seat. He then told Becky to drive.

While in the car, Mabry laughed and told Becky, “I told you I’d find you.” He then continued to press Becky for her phone number and address and information about who she was dating. When he did not get the answers he wanted, Mabry fired the gun at Becky. The bullet missed her and went into the passenger floorboard. Realizing Mabry was totally out of control and likely going to kill her and her daughter, Becky pulled into a local gas station. Mabry pointed the gun at Becky and she pushed it away. She got out of the car and slipped. When she got back up, Mabry shot her in the stomach. Becky slipped again and stumbled to the rear of the automobile. Mabry got out of the car and continued to shoot her. At some point, the gun either jammed or ran out of bullets. As Becky crawled for her life, Mabry reloaded the gun. Becky was a few feet away from the door of the gas station when Mabry stood over her and fired what is believed to be the fatal shot. Mabry then went back to the car and threw Becky’s daughter out and into a gas pump. Becky’s daughter ran to her and laid down on her dying mother’s chest until police arrived. Mabry fled the scene.

A Life Lost and a Killer on the Run

Police arrived on the scene almost immediately as calls poured in from dozens of witnesses. They found Becky on the sidewalk near the door of the gas station. She was bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds and was barely breathing. Becky was rushed to the hospital, where she died a short time later. Police interviewed all the witnesses, including Becky’s daughter, and put out an all-points bulletin to find murder suspect Lincoln Mabry.

Mabry took Becky’s car and went to see his sister in Columbus, Ohio, which was a few hours away. After arriving in Columbus, Mabry abandoned Becky’s car and carjacked a woman. He forced the woman to take him back to her house. Mabry tied the woman up and spent the night at the woman’s home. The next day, he went to his sister’s house, leaving the woman unharmed. Mabry’s sister convinced him to go back to Canton, Ohio, and turn himself into police.

Mabry turned himself in to police and confessed to everything he had done. He also gave police the murder weapon. During his interrogation, Mabry showed no remorse for what he had done.

A Life Sentence for a Heartless Killer

Mabry was charged with aggravated murder for killing Becky Kerr and abduction for kidnapping her daughter. Mabry initially pled not guilty by reason of insanity, but was found competent to stand trial. Based on Mabry’s own confession, the eyewitness account of Becky’s daughter and the multitude of witnesses who saw Mabry kill Becky, it took the jury only two and a half hours to find him guilty of all charges. He was sentenced to life in prison for killing Becky, plus three to ten years for kidnapping her daughter. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively (back-to-back). Six months later, Mabry would attempt to appeal his conviction, citing the fact the jury was not instructed to consider voluntary manslaughter as a verdict. The judges said the error was irrelevant, citing overwhelming evidence of guilt.

No Parole

Lincoln Mabry is a heartless, cold-blooded murderer who killed his ex-girlfriend Becky Kerr simply because she wanted to escape his abuse. In addition, Mabry executed Becky in front of her eight-year-old daughter, who will have to live with seeing her mother die for the rest of her life. Releasing Lincoln Mabry at any point would be a complete injustice to Becky Kerr and her daughter and would demean his cruelty to them. Based on Mabry’s history of uncontrollable rage, jealousy and abuse, releasing him would also present a serious risk to the community, especially to any woman who may become involved with him. To further the interests of justice and protect society we urge, the Ohio Parole Board to deny parole for Lincoln Mabry at all future parole hearings until he fulfills his entire LIFE sentence.