WARREN Jury recommends death in murder case
The judge can decide to reduce Jackson's death sentence to prison time.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A jury is recommending to a judge that a 30-year-old Youngstown man, convicted of killing a Howland businessman, be sentenced to death.
The jury reached that decision in Nathaniel Jackson's case after deliberating about 31/2 hours Friday.
The jurors began deliberations after they heard closing arguments in the penalty phase of the trial.
Jackson showed no emotion as the verdict was read.
Jackson was convicted last Friday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court of aggravated murder, burglary and robbery, with firearms specifications.
Jackson, 30, of South Pearl Street, Youngstown, and Donna Roberts, 57, of Howland, were charged with killing Robert Fingerhut in his Fonderlac Drive Southeast residence Dec. 11, 2001.
Fingerhut owned the Greyhound bus terminals in Warren and Youngstown.
Roberts and Fingerhut were divorced but were living together. She is scheduled to go on trial in April.
Judge John Stuard of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court said he has to review the case before he decides Jackson's sentence. The judge can decide to reduce Jackson's sentence to life in prison without parole, or a 25- or 30-year sentence.
Reactions
"It will be about a week because the judge has to go over everything," said Atty. Anthony Consoldane, who represented Jackson. "Since this is a capital case, it obviously will be appealed. I'm very disappointed."
Prosecutor Dennis Watkins and Charles Morrow, an assistant county prosecutor, said they are "very satisfied" with the verdict.
"The jury worked very hard on this case," Watkins said. "It's a tragic event."
Consoldane had urged jurors during closing arguments to spare Jackson's life. He reminded the jurors that Jackson had a low IQ and had adapted well to prison life in the past.
Watkins, however, disagreed, saying that when Jackson was in prison last year, he plotted with Roberts to kill Fingerhut. "This was a cold-blooded, psychopathic killing," Watkins said. "You can't get any worse than being in prison and planning to execute a man."
During the trial, Watkins produced numerous letters written by Jackson to Roberts, which he said showed the two were planning Fingerhut's murder, and Jackson was waiting at the home for Fingerhut to arrive.
Watkins said the letters showed Jackson and Roberts kept in touch while Jackson was an inmate in Lorain Correctional Institution.
Jackson was released from prison Dec. 9 after serving one year on a conviction out of Mahoning County on two counts of receiving stolen property.
Jurors told court officials that they did not want to be interviewed by the press.
sinkovich@vindy.com