Shannon Haynes will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole yesterday in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
Haynes was found guilty last Wednesday for the May 20, 2000 rape and murder of Kara Parrish, a 20-year-old OSU student. The court declared him to be a sexually violent predator; the sentences he received were the steepest possible.
The court came to its conclusion after hearing the testimony of J.R. Wolfe, a resident who lived beneath Haynes. Wolfe said he heard Kara Parrish reject Haynes’ sexual advances and also heard Haynes shout “Shut up or I’ll tie you up.” Wolfe also testified that he heard Parrish yelling for him to get off of her and yelling that he was hurting her.
The other evidence used to make the decision was Haynes’ sperm, which was found inside the victim, and the jury’s guilty verdict of rape.
The jury found Haynes guilty of voluntary manslaughter, kidnapping, rape and two counts of murder last Wednesday. One count of murder for causing the death of Parrish as a proximate result of committing rape and the other count of murder for causing Parrish’s death as a proximate result of kidnapping.
Judge Lisa L. Sadler also sentenced Haynes to 10 years to life for kidnapping and 10 years to life for murder, in addition to the life sentence imposed on him for murder.
Sadler said consecutive prison terms are necessary to protect the public and punish the offender.
“The crimes that you have been convicted of are the most heinous known to our society,” Sadler said to Haynes as she was sentencing him.
Haynes’ criminal record includes six felonies; four in California and two in Ohio.
Haynes’ felonies ranged from burglaries to forgeries, and after being released from prison in 1998 there was only a 2-year period prior to the rape and murder of Parrish. This lead the court to determine that Haynes would likely be a repeat offender.
Sadler said Haynes’ earlier offenses worsened to sexual offenses that lead to the rape and murder of Parrish.
Jeff Parrish, Kara’s father, said he was sorry the jury and court in general didn’t have the chance to know what a fabulous person his daughter was.
“I’ll never hear her call me Daddy again, which is how she introduced me and talked to me,” Mr. Parrish said.
Mr. Parrish said the family has been deprived of all the experiences and joys that one has with a daughter.
“I can only hope,” Mr. Parrish said, “that the ugliness you hear goes on inside a prison, that Mr. Haynes experiences as many of those as humanly possible.”
Bob Bancroft, Kara’s step-father, said he doesn’t think Kara needs to be defended because her friends and family know her for who she was and who she will always be.
“I realize that if the victim in this case was the Virgin Mary, it would be the same type of defense,” Bancroft said. “I think this predator needs to be away from society and handed the strongest sentence that he can receive.”
Peggy Parrish, Kara’s mother, said she could say the most vile, ugly things about Haynes, but instead she would talk about her daughter, whose birthday would have been this Thursday.
“Last year at this time I was shopping for gifts and planning a party,” Ms. Parrish said. “One of those gifts were the sandals that were found in Shannon Haynes’ trash can, one of those things that she wanted very badly for her birthday last year.”
Defense attorney Christopher T. Cicero said there wasn’t anything else he could say after Kara’s family’s statements except that it was very moving and emotional, even for him.
Ms. Parrish said Kara’s voice was heard in the courtroom yesterday afternoon and she is thankful to the prosecutors in this case.
Mr. and Ms. Parrish both said they are thankful to Haynes’ step-father and half-brother, for doing the right thing and aiding the police in the investigation of their daughter’s death.
Kara Parrish would have been 21 March 8.
