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Jury recommends death for 'C-Murder'

Posted at 11:29 AM, Oct 22, 2010
and last updated 2014-07-23 11:14:31-04

A jury has recommended the death penalty for a man with the nickname "C Murder."

Calvin McKelton, 33, of Bond Hill, killed his girlfriend, Fairfield attorney, Margaret Allen and his friend, Germaine Evans Sr.

Assistant Prosecutor Lance Salyers described it as a hard decision for a jury but the right one.

One of McKelton's attorneys, Melynda Cook,said his children are not going to take this well. "Even though he's done bad things and he's led a bad life he can influence someone else (in a positive way)" said Cook.

Cook said his oldest daughter said McKelton encourages her to make good decisions. He encourages her to go to college and to stay out of trouble.

All the people on the jury were white. Defense attorneys said that could be brought up during the appeal.

Prosecutors do not think that's a valid argument. "I don't think it was a matter of this jury was too white or too suburban or too anything. What they were was too familiar with the facts of the case," said Salyers. "They were too familiar with the evidence of his guilt so they were too familiar that justice in this case demanded a death verdict," said Salyers.

The sentencing was delayed after a judge dismissed a juror during trial Thursday night.

The jury sent a letter to the judge stating that one of the jurors refused to participate. The judge sent one back requesting more information and a woman was dismissed.

The woman told the judge her mother had surgery scheduled and could not participate further in the trial.

An alternate juror was put in place Thursday evening and a sentencing decision was reached Friday morning.

Prosecutors said Evans helped McKelton dump Allen's body near Schmidt Field in Cincinnati after McKelton strangled her during an argument. In 2009 Evans was found shot to death in a Mt. Auburn park.

A Cincinnati police detective testified during the trial that the condition of Allen's body was so severe, he could not recognize the body.

Reports said that defense attorneys did not call any witnesses to the stand during the trial.

A relative testified that Evans confided he saw McKelton choking Allen and then attempted to revive her. Evans also told the relative that McKelton tried to make it appear her house had been broken into before he then tried to set it on fire.

Several inmates at the Butler County Jail testified they heard McKelton discussing killing Allen and Evans.

McKelton's attorneys indicated he was seeing other women during the time frame of Allen's death.

McKelton begged the jury Thursday to give him the sentence of life in prison as opposed to the death penalty because he wanted to continue to have a relationship with his own children and several nieces and nephews, who he said look up to him.

The judge will now decide whether he will impose the jury's recommendation of death. The official sentencing will take place next month.