Ohio Supreme Court upholds conviction, death sentence for serial killer Shawn Grate

ASHLAND COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously upholds the conviction and death penalty of serial killer Shawn Grate, the Ashland County Prosecuting Attorney announced Thursday.

Shawn Grate was convicted of murdering a total of five women in Ohio.

Two women in Ashland County, two women in Richland County and one woman in Marion County.

The bodies of Stacey Stanley, 43, and Elizabeth Griffin, 29, were found in Grate’s Ashland home in Ashland County in September of 2016.

Grate was sentenced to death for the murders of Stanley and Griffin.

“Our thoughts today are with the victims and their families, and hopefully today’s Supreme Court decision aids in giving them peace,” said Ashland County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Tunnell.

Rebekah Leicy and Candace Cunnigham were killed in Richland County.

Leicy’s body was found on Ashland County Road 1908 in Ashland County in March of 2015. She had been kidnapped several months before that from Richland County.

Cunningham’s body was found behind a burned out house on Park Avenue East in Madison Township, Richland County in September 2016.

Grate was sentenced to life in prison for the Richland County murders.

On Sept. 11, 2019, Grate pleaded to killing Dana Nicole Lowrey, 23, in 2006 in Marion County.

Her remains were found in 2007 on Victory Road in Marion.

The Louisiana woman was selling magazines when she was killed.

Officials believe Lowrey was the serial killer’s first victim.

Grate was sentenced to life in prison, without parole, plus an additional 16 years for the Marion County murder.

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