Cornwell's Clemency

Jessica Ballew's death has been called by some the ``poster child' of the gangsta lifestyle and violence that has gripped parts of Youngstown for parts of two decades.

Monday, the man convicted of killing her, Sidney Cornwell, had his death sentence commuted by Gov. Ted Strickland in a move that has generated a firestorm of venom locally.

Although Strickland has commuted four other death sentences during his time as governor, this case is so emotional because of the fact that a 3-year-old child was killed as she asked for a glass of water on a steamy summer night by Cornwell, who was looking for a member of the Bloods street gang at the home and decided to fire anyway once he found out the person he was looking for was not there.

There's no doubt Cornwell killed Ballew, and he has admitted it after a period of denial. He has also expressed genuine remorse and seems to have turned his life around in prison after accepting Christ. His clemency report said since that time, he has been no trouble and has been a constructive inmate and that he understands he must pay for his actions.

I don't know what to think of the decision. It is no secret that I oppose the death penalty except in limited circumstances, such as someone like Timothy McVeigh or Osama Bin Laden or even a hardened criminal like Flip Williams, to use a local example. Yet I also feel that too often, those who are opposed to the death penalty forget the victims, and that hurts the cause.

The family is outraged, and they have every right to be. They have forgiven Cornwell but still think he deserves the ultimate punishment. Adding to their furor has to be the fact they feel suckered because they had no idea Cornwell's life would be spared.

Cornwell does seem to have turned his life around and has accepted the fact that he will spend the rest of his life in prison. He was also prepared to die if that was the governor's decision.

The cynic in me wonders if this decision would have been made if Strickland was not a lame duck governor. I would hope not. Agree or disagree, I would hope that if the governor felt that strongly about the case, his decision would be the same no matter what the political circumstances are.

There are no real winners. A 3-year-old girl is dead for no reason. A family has been ripped apart and continues to be victimized. It is the legacy of Youngstown's gangsta past and sometimes present that led to her death. The death of one more person won't change that or bring Jessica back.

So why does sparing Cornwell's life still feel so hollow?