Cleveland man convicted of beating a woman to be death will be sentenced Thursday

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The 29-year-old man convicted of beating a reverend’s daughter to death in Slavic Village in 2018 was sentenced by Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Deborah Turner Thursday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

In November, a jury found Jamal Kukla guilty of murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.

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.”

Jasmine Washington's family made this poster after she died. — Jasmine Washington's family made this poster after she died.(WOIO)

Washington leaves behind three children.

Her father is a reverend at Straightway Bible Fellowship in Cleveland Heights.

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