Jason Getsy was born on October 3, 1975, and grew up in the state of Ohio. Not much is publicly documented about his early life or upbringing, but by the time he was 19, he had already become entangled with dangerous people and criminal plans. He was reportedly impressionable and easily influenced by older figures in his life, including John Santine, the man who would later recruit him for a contract killing.

At the time of the crime in 1995, Getsy had no significant criminal record, but he quickly went from an unknown young man to the center of a brutal and highly publicized murder case. He was just barely out of his teens when he made the fatal choice that would cost another woman her life and leave a family destroyed.

In the summer of 1995, 19-year-old Jason Getsy was recruited by 29-year-old John Santine for a murder-for-hire plot over a business dispute involving a lawn care company. Santine allegedly offered Getsy $5,000 to kill Charles Serafino, his former business partner. Santine told Getsy not only to kill Charles but to eliminate any potential witnesses as well.

On July 7, 1995, Getsy entered the Serafino home in Hubbard, Ohio, and opened fire. He shot 66-year-old Ann Serafino, Charles' mother, killing her. He then shot Charles seven times, including a shot to the face at close range. Miraculously, Charles Serafino survived, though with serious injuries. The brutal attack stunned the local community and triggered a major investigation.

Getsy was arrested shortly after the crime. In 1996, he was convicted of aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder and sentenced to death. The following year, John Santine was convicted of the same charges but received 43 years to life in prison, sparking controversy over the unequal sentencing.

The Ohio Parole Board, in a rare move, recommended clemency for Getsy by a vote of 5–2, citing that others involved in the same murder were not given the death penalty. However, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland rejected that recommendation. All legal appeals, including those to the Ohio Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court, were denied.

On the morning of August 18, 2009, Jason Getsy was executed by lethal injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville. Before his death, he gave a final apology to the Serafino family and expressed remorse, stating, “It is my earnest prayer that God grants you peace.”

He was pronounced dead at 10:29 a.m., just 29 minutes after the procedure began. He was 33 years old.