The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the execution of Akron’s Dawud El Spaulding pending the outcome of his appeals.
His execution had been set for Jan. 20, 2021.
In February 2013, Spaulding was sentenced to death for the killings of 28-year-old Erica Singleton and 31-year-old Ernest Thomas outside Singleton’s Akron home in December 2011. Court records show a judge had granted Singleton a protection order against Spaulding at the time. Prosecutors said Spaulding stalked and terrorized Singleton before killing her.
Spaulding also was convicted in a related shooting hours earlier that left Thomas’ nephew paralyzed.