SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, OH (WTOL) - Attorneys for Cameo Pettaway, who is accused of killing a couple in Springfield Township, want the death penalty specification dismissed.
Attorneys appeared in court Thursday to argue the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office has no protocol in deciding which cases to turn capitol. In a motion, Pettaway's attorneys argued the victims were white reputed drug traffickers and provided cases of the murders of black traffickers that were not capitol.
Pettaway and a second defendant are facing aggravated murder charges for the deaths of Johnny Clarke and Lisa Straub. The couple was found in her parents' home last January with their hands bound with duct tape and plastic bags over their heads.
In court, the motion to dismiss the death penalty specification against Pettaway was denied.
Jury selection is set for May 29.
In related news, the defense has been granted fees to test Pettaway's mental capabilities. Individuals found to be mentally challenged cannot face the death penalty by law.
