Man who killed Hubbard woman to be executed Aug. 18

By Marc Kovac

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Supreme Court has set an August date for the execution of man convicted of killing a Hubbard Township woman more than a decade ago.

Jason Getsy, 33, has been on death row since September 1996 for the aggravated murder of Ann R. Serafino and the attempted murder of her son, Charles Serafino, in July 1995.

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins filed a motion with the Ohio Supreme Court in late December seeking the execution date and noting that Getsy had “exhausted all state and federal remedies” in the case.

On Wednesday, the Ohio Supreme Court set that date for Aug. 18, with the sentence to be carried out at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. He is incarcerated at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown.

“It’s certainly a welcome day for the victims’ family,” Watkins said of the high court’s decision. He added, “This case is long overdue. ... It was a fair trial. [The sentence has] been sustained, and the evidence is overwhelming.”

According to court documents, Getsy and two other men were hired to kill Charles Serafino by another individual over a business disagreement. Serafino, though shot in the face at point-blank range, survived the attack.

Getsy admitted his involvement to law enforcement, indicating “that he participated in the shootings because he was scared ... but did not do it for the money,” according to documents.

A witness later said Getsy bragged about the shooting: He “grabbed a piece of pizza with no cheese on it and said, ‘This looks just like this b----’s face after we shot her,’” according to documents.

The state parole board will have a hearing in coming months to review the case and determine whether the sentence should be commuted. Gov. Ted Strickland will make the final decision on clemency.

mkovac@dixcom.com