Watkins opposes parole for convicted murderer

Warren Cromety charged in ’93 home invasion, stabbing

WARREN -- Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins is opposing parole for Warren Cromety, 51, who was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in 1995 for the 1993 home invasion and stabbing death of 78-year-old Theodore Emerson and severe injuries to his wife, Cathryn, 72.

Cromety comes up for a parole hearing this month. He has served 32 years and three months in prison on convictions for aggravated murder, attempted murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and escape. He was sentenced Oct. 12, 1995 in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

According to a Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office press release, Cromety and co-defendants Sheldon Jackson and Carvin Clemmons broke into the couple's Jefferson Street home in Warren.

"Theodore Emerson was knocked down the stairs and severely beaten in his basement, with Jackson using a screwdriver as a weapon," the release states. "Cathryn was severely beaten and stabbed with a butcher knife by Cromety and never recovered from injuries, dying in a care center a few years after the attack," the release states.

"Evidence showed that before entering the victim's house, Clemmons stated that Cromety "say he gonna, just gonna stab somebody, and he told me don't be scared when you see blood and that."

The three defendants gave video-recorded statements to Warren police about their involvement in the murder. The three were also convicted of an aggravated robbery earlier that day in which a man was assaulted and robbed of his wallet. Evidence showed that Cromety and Jackson were the masterminds behind the robberies and the murder, the release states.

After being incarcerated in Trumbull Correctional Institution, Cromety and three other prisoners attempted a violent escape attempt in 1995, the release states.

Jackson was granted parole in late 2023, while Clemmens completed his sentence. Watkins and his staff have opposed release for the two main defendants in this case, including in 2017 when Cromety was denied parole. The Prosecutor's Office accepted a manslaughter plea for Clemmons, a slow learner, who cooperated and was not armed, the release states.

"This office knows enough ... to say that Warren Cromety, for a certainty, by serving the remainder of his life term in prison will mean that there will be no risk in the future to senior citizens like Cathryn and Theodore Emerson."

Watkins added that the "vicious" factors of Cromety's crimes "scream out, in our opinion, for more years in prison!"

The release notes that members of the public can submit comments about the potential parole of Warren Cromety. Comments can be made through the the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction website: https://drc.ohio.gov/systems-and-services/1-parole/parole-board-hearing-input