WARREN — Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins is urging the Ohio Parole Board to deny parole for Pompie Junior Wade, a 72-year-old inmate convicted of a 1975 murder, calling him a “notorious” killer who should remain behind bars.

Wade’s parole hearing is set for August 2025 at Marion Correctional Institution, where he is serving a 20-year-to-life sentence.

The Ohio Parole Board will review Wade’s case next month, weighing the prosecutor’s plea against the inmate’s bid for freedom.

In 1976, Wade was convicted of murdering Dominic Chiarella, 51, and attempting to murder Fred Piersol, 23, during an armed robbery at the Austin Village Beverage Center in Warren. Wade, then on parole for a 1972 manslaughter conviction, shot both men in the chest after forcing them into a cooler, despite having already stolen cash.

Chiarella died instantly, leaving behind a wife and children, while Piersol survived. Wade was sentenced to death, but the penalty was commuted to life in prison after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Ohio’s death penalty unconstitutional in 1978.

Watkins, who assisted in Wade’s 1976 trial, has opposed his release in letters to the parole board in 1989, 1995, 2005, 2015, and most recently on July 31, 2025.

His latest submission includes letters from Chiarella’s family, a Youngstown Vindicator editorial, and statements from Warren Mayor Doug Franklin and Councilman Michael O’Brien, D-at Large, all opposing parole. The editorial, titled “Twice-convicted killer should not get third chance,” argues Wade’s prior parole for manslaughter and escape from the death penalty were sufficient breaks.

Dr. David Chiarella, the victim’s son, also wrote to the parole board, urging them to keep Wade incarcerated. Watkins said that Wade’s “sentence must be fully served” to ensure public safety, a sentiment echoed by local officials who described Chiarella as a valued community member.