Ohio Parole Board rejects mercy for man who killed his 3 sons

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Parole Board has rejected a request for mercy from a condemned man who shot his three sons to death as they slept in 1982.

The board voted unanimously today to turn down Reginald Brooks’ argument that he is a paranoid schizophrenic who suffered from mental illness long before the shootings.

The board’s 13-page ruling says Brooks carefully planned the crime and has never needed mental health treatment in 28 years in prison.

The 66-year-old Brooks is scheduled to die Nov. 15. He would be the oldest man put to death in Ohio if the execution proceeds.

Brooks shot his 11-, 15- and 17-year-old sons in Cleveland two days after his wife had served him with divorce papers.