Fellows denied parole in Niles cop’s 1982 killing

Fellows denied parole in Niles cop’s 1982 killing

COLUMBUS

Like his accomplice earlier this month, Randy Fellows has been denied parole for at least 10 more years.

Fellows, 47, and Fred Joseph Jr., 46, both of Niles, have served a little more than 29 years in prison for killing Niles policeman John Utlak, 26, in 1982. Joseph, the triggerman, was 17 at the time; Fellows 18.

The Ohio Parole Board denied parole for Joseph Oct. 10 and Fellows on Monday.

Both men were convicted of aggravated murder and specifications of killing a peace officer and doing it while committing a robbery. They were sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 30 years.

The men killed Utlak on Hunter Street in Weathersfield Township near Waddell Park Dec. 8, 1982. They had been working as drug informants for Utlak but turned on the officer and robbed him when they decided to leave town.

The parole board’s action is technically a recommendation, but the only step left is for the decision to be checked for clerical errors, a prison official said.