Ohio death row inmate, backed by ex-sheriff, asks for full pardon

Tyrone Noling, a 54-year-old inmate sentenced to death in Ohio, had a unique chance this week to present his case for a full pardon before the state's parole board. Noling was convicted in 1996 for the double murder of an elderly couple, a crime he maintains he did not commit. Backed by the Ohio Innocence Project and receiving support from celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Hilarie Burton, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Noling gathered substantial evidence during his hearing.

This evidence includes recanted witness testimonies, changed statements from the sheriff and one of the jurors, and clues pointing towards an already executed killer as the likely perpetrator. Despite the lack of physical evidence or a murder weapon, Noling's defenders argue that other potential suspects, such as Dan Wilson, who was executed in 2009 for a different crime, emerge from the evidence.

The parole board will assess Noling's appeal and submit a recommendation to Governor Mike DeWine, who has recently called for the abolition of the death penalty.