Romell Broom was born on June 4, 1956, in Muskegon, Michigan, and moved to Ohio with his mother at age five. His early years were marred by criminal behavior and multiple encounters with the juvenile justice system. While still a teenager, he committed several non-violent offenses and was repeatedly sent to institutions run by the Ohio Youth Commission.

His criminal activities escalated dramatically in the 1970s. At age 18, Broom committed a series of serious offenses, including an armed robbery on October 25, 1974, and the rape of a 12-year-old girl on January 11, 1975, while she was babysitting his niece. A few months later, in March 1975, he participated in another armed robbery. He later pled guilty to rape and multiple robbery charges and was sentenced to 7 to 25 years in prison. He was paroled in May 1984, just four months before committing the murder that would ultimately place him on death row.

Even before the murder of 14-year-old Tryna Middleton, Broom was a dangerous repeat offender. After his parole, he allegedly committed several other crimes, including the attempted abduction of 12-year-old Venita McKenney on September 18, 1984. That incident was interrupted by neighbors, but three days later, he succeeded in abducting and killing another victim.

Romell Broom's criminal activity escalated in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1974, he participated in a armed robbery where he and another person forced a man out of his car. In January 1975, Broom raped a 12-year-old girl who was babysitting. He was also involved in another armed robbery that March. He faced charges for these crimes and was eventually sentenced to 7 to 25 years in prison. He was paroled in May 1984.

In the fall of 1984, Broom attempted to abduct a 12-year-old girl, but he was stopped by neighbors. On September 21, he successfully abducted and murdered 14-year-old Tryna Middleton, along with committing sexual violence against her. Just a few months later, in December, Broom assaulted and tried to abduct 11-year-old Melinda Grissom. Grissom’s mother intervened, which allowed her daughter to escape. Broom was arrested that same day after witnesses provided a description of his vehicle.

Broom was charged with several serious crimes, including aggravated murder. His plea deal for a lighter sentence was rejected, and he was convicted and sentenced to death. He later sought DNA testing to clear his name, but the results did not prove his innocence.

In September 2009, Broom was scheduled to be executed. However, this attempt was halted when executioners could not find a suitable vein to administer the lethal injection. This led to legal arguments about the constitutionality of executing him after a failed attempt. Over the next decade, appeals and execution dates were set and delayed multiple times.

Broom ultimately never faced another execution as he died from suspected COVID-19 complications on December 28, 2020, while still in prison.