Formerly on death row, man seeks house-arrest permission

PARMA, Ohio (AP) — A former death row inmate has requested to live under house arrest in a suburban Cleveland apartment, and nearby residents have mixed feelings about their potential new neighbor.

Joe D’Ambrosio, 48, has asked a judge for permission to live with a woman who befriended him during his time in prison while he awaits a new trial.

D’Ambrosio was convicted of killing 19-year-old Tony Klann in 1988 and dumping his body in a creek. But a federal court has ordered a new trial, saying prosecutors withheld evidence that might have cleared him of the crime. A trial date has not been set.

If Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg allows it, D’Ambrosio would live with Rosalie Lee, a longtime resident of the apartment complex.

Synenberg deferred the decision last week to a bond commissioner, who will visit the apartment and determine whether it is suitable.

One nearby resident said the possibility of meeting D’Ambrosio makes her shudder.

“I’ve got two little boys, and it would be a little scary,” said Debbie Leanza, who lives two doors down from Lee. “You don’t know if he did it or didn’t do it.”

She said Lee’s reputation makes the prospect of having D’Ambrosio nearby much easier.

“I like Rosalie,” she said. “I’m pretty sure she would make a good judgment.”

Lee, 69, has said she met D’Ambrosio through her daughter, who contacted D’Ambrosio by mail when he was in prison. Lee visited D’Ambrosio weekly at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, home to the state’s death row, and developed a maternal-like relationship with him.

Next-door neighbor Nicole Pavone said she supports Lee’s belief that D’Ambrosio is innocent.

“We all agree that the prosecutors not handing over evidence was a despicable thing,” she said.

Lee is treasurer of the two-story apartment cooperative complex, and several residents voiced their support of her judgement.

“I trust her as much as I trust God almighty,” neighbor Kathleen Morgan said. “She balances our books to the penny.”

D’Ambrosio is eligible to be released from jail on a $50,000 bond and is required to post only 10 percent of that amount, or $5,000.

Pavone said she already knows what she’ll say to D’Ambrosio if she meets him.

“Welcome out,” she said. “Welcome to the world again.”