Jury reaches verdict in trial for man accused of killing daughter of Cleveland reverend

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The jury returned Thursday with a verdict in the trial against the 29-year-old man accused of beating a reverend’s daughter to death in Slavic Village in 2018.

Jury deliberating in trial for man accused of killing daughter of Cleveland reverend

Cuyahoga County prosecutors said Jamal Kukla was found guilty on several charges, including:

Two counts of murder
One count of felonious assault
One count of tampering with evidence
One count of gross abuse of a corpse

Kukla’s trial began on Oct. 31 in front of Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Deborah Turner.

The body of Jasmine Washington, 31, was found hidden under stairs outside the Broadway Christian Church on Sept. 17, 2018.

Kukla was arrested on May 27, 2020 after police said his DNA matched DNA evidence collected from the crime scene.

“In 2018 Jamal Kukla brutally murdered 31-year-old Jasmine Washington in Slavic Village. After 2 years of searching for the killer, the Cleveland Police received a sample of Kukla’s DNA which matched the evidence collected at the crime scene,” Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said. “I hope after today’s verdict the victim’s family and friends can finally feel justice has been served.”