Killer Betz will be paroled

COLUMBUS— A Columbiana County man who has served nearly 30 years in prison for the murder of a Trumbull County bar owner will be released this summer, the Ohio Parole Board decided Monday.

Chairwoman Cynthia Mausser, speaking on behalf of the nine-member board, said Gary Allan Betz, 53, will be set free from the Grafton Correctional Institution on or after July 16, He is to have no contact with his victim’s family and must complete other parole terms.

A majority of board members agreed that he has served sufficient time behind bars and has made an acceptable adjustment, Mausser said.

The decision was made following about an hour of statements for and against the early release. The board also met in executive session for about half an hour.

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said it was the wrong decision. “We feel he’s a danger to society, and he should not be released,” he said.

Betz was sentenced to life in prison for the pre-Christmas 1976 murder of Ronald Goche in a back room of the Riviera Inn near Lake Milton.

For complete story, see Tuesday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.