Bio

John Glenn Roe was born on April 4, 1962. He spent his childhood in Franklin County, Ohio. His father died when Roe was about eight years old. This loss was significant, as Roe described his father as an alcoholic who had been abusive to him and his family. After his father's death, his mother, Joyce, became his primary caregiver. Roe mentioned that she often took him shoplifting, which contributed to his early involvement in crime.

Growing up, Roe struggled in school. He dropped out in the 10th grade because he found it difficult to keep up with the work. He also mentioned having trouble reading and writing. These challenges made it hard for him to find stable jobs outside of prison. When he did manage to get a job, like one at a Kentucky Fried Chicken, it was usually short-lived as he often returned to criminal activities.

Roe's criminal record began early in his teenage years. He was arrested for offenses like theft and breaking and entering. By the time he was a young adult, he had spent a significant portion of his life in and out of the correctional system. He often said he did not engage in violent crimes, only theft and burglaries, which he believed carried lighter sentences.

His family life remained complex. Roe's mother, after marrying his stepfather, continued to support him. However, Roe’s interactions with his family were strained due to his repeated arrests and the criminal lifestyle he led. He expressed feelings of guilt about involving his mother in his crimes and the trouble he caused.

Roe's pattern of crime continued as he matured. He acknowledged that many of his arrests were related to drug use and theft, rather than violent behavior. 

Murder Story

In the early hours of October 6, 1984, Donette Crawford was last seen leaving a tavern after spending time with a friend. She was driving home to pick up her young child. On her way, she stopped at a convenience store to buy cigarettes but never returned home.

About a month later, on November 6, 1984, John Glenn Roe was arrested for breaking into a Radio Shack. While in custody, he offered information regarding the missing Donette Crawford. Roe claimed that a man named Jerry had shot Donette and dumped her body behind a cement plant. He provided details about Donette's car and indicated that she had been shot with a .357 magnum handgun.

On November 15, 1984, the area described by Roe was searched, and the remains of Donette Crawford were found. Her identity was confirmed through dental records, and she had been shot in the back of the head. A .357 revolver was recovered from Roe and linked to a burglary he was convicted of, following ballistics tests that showed a bullet fragment from Donette's skull came from his gun.

Witnesses testified that Roe admitted to killing a woman shortly after the murder. He had been out of prison for only 25 days when the murder occurred. A cellmate of Roe's also testified that Roe confessed details of the crime while in jail, which led to his conviction on charges of aggravated murder, kidnapping, and robbery.

Roe maintained that he did not kill Donette, claiming instead that he was attempting to break into a video game store during the time of her abduction. However, evidence, including his gun and the testimony of other witnesses, linked him directly to the crime.

Roe's execution by lethal injection took place on February 3, 2004, after years on death row. He was the tenth inmate executed in Ohio since the state resumed capital punishment in 1999. He maintained his innocence until the very end, claiming that he was wrongfully convicted.