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WARREN -- The Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office is opposing the parole of Randall L. Whitmore, whose conduct is described by two chief child assault prosecutors as "some of the most despicable" they have ever encountered.
In a letter written Feb. 24 opposing the parole, Prosecutor Dennis Watkins stated "no child is safe around him" because of his egregious behavior.
Whitmore, 60, formerly of Niles, is serving a life sentence after being sentenced in 1988 on six counts of rape, gross sexual imposition and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. He will have a parole hearing this month outside his cell at Marion Correctional Institution.
The inmate on five other occasions had sought release from prison, but each time, Watkins opposed it.
Watkins stated Whitmore was convicted of multiple rapes and other sexual crimes against a relative between the ages of 5 and 7, and two children, ages 8 and 10, who lived in the same Royal Mall apartment complex in Niles.
The inmate once told the director of the Forensic Psychiatric Center he committed the crimes because he was "depressed all the time and he was fighting with his wife over a messy house." Also in the files is a 1988 letter from one of Whitmore's victims where she called her encounter with him "the worst 25 minutes of my life."
Some of the acts against these children were extremely violent, but Watkins spared the details because of the graphic details involved.
But the longtime prosecutor is convinced if released, Whitmore would commit additional predatory acts against children.
In closing his letter to parole board chairwoman Alicia Handwerk, Watkins states, "the gates of hell await 60-year-old Whitmore, but until then, keep our children safe and please ensure that there are no more young victims of his playtime depravities by denying this inmate parole forever."
Watkins said his victim / witness assistance administrator Mary Jo Hoso has been in contact with two of Whitmore's victims, who said they would be available to provide evidence if the board opts for a full board hearing in Whitmore's case. The first hearing this month will deal with three members of the parole board deciding if Whitmore will remain in prison, or if his case will be forwarded to the full board for review.
In contacting a representative of the Ohio Public Defender's Office to get a comment in defense of Whitmore, attorney Laura Austen said she usually doesn't have a comment about inmates' parole hearings.
Letters
People who want to submit a written statement concerning this hearing may send it to the Ohio Parole Board, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, 4545 Fisher Road, Suite D, Columbus, OH 43228. Include the offender's name and number on any correspondence. Randall Whitmore's inmate number is A203942.