Ohio's governor on Monday spared the life of a murderer who was due to be executed on Tuesday, citing the condemned man's genetic condition, which might have generated more sympathy from his judge and jurors.
Sidney Cornwell, 33, has been on death row since 1997 in the gang-related shooting in which a 3-year-old girl was killed and three others were wounded.
Governor Ted Strickland, a Democrat, commuted Cornwell's sentence to life in prison. He cited Cornwell's recent diagnosis of Klinefelter's syndrome, a genetic disorder afflicting males that can slow physical development and create embarrassing characteristics such as breasts.
"This condition, which impacts both the body and the mind of its sufferer, was unknown to the jury and judge responsible for determining Mr. Cornwell's sentence despite significant testimony and argument during Mr. Cornwell's trial regarding certain of his physical characteristics," Strickland wrote.
The governor cited a dissent by the chairman of the state parole board, who argued that Cornwell was portrayed by prosecutors at his trial as "merely overweight and lazy by nature," while his subsequent diagnosis could have created sympathy for him. The parole board recommended Cornwell's execution go ahead.
Men with Klinefelter's syndrome have an extra X chromosome that can create a variety of effects, including weak muscles as a baby. Men and boys with the syndrome tend to be tall, may develop breasts, have low energy, and are at higher risk for a variety of diseases as well as suffering a low sperm count.
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