State v. Skatzes

{1} On the afternoon of April 11, 1993, inmates at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility ("SOCF") at Lucasville rioted and took control of L Section, one of three main prison cell blocks. On or about April 12, inmates killed inmate Earl Elder. On April 15, inmates killed Robert Vallandingham, one of eight corrections officers taken hostage during the riot. On April 21, while inmates were surrendering and releasing the remaining hostages, inmates killed inmate David Sommers. Defendant-appellant, George Skatzes, was found guilty as one of the inmates responsible for the murders of Elder, Vallandingham, and Sommers and was sentenced to death.