Obese killer spared by governor

• Tweet

An obese killer on Ohio death row successfully petitioned for clemency, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Monday.

The attorneys of Ronald Post, who was condemned to execution for the 1983 murder of a motel clerk, petitioned fro clemency on claims both that his original defense had been inadequate and that he could not be humanely put to death due to his size.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich agreed to grant clemency to Post, following the Ohio Parole Board's 5-3 recommendation.

According to the Plain Dealer, the board said Post should not be executed, hinging their argument not on his 480-pound girth, but because he was not effectively defended by his original attorneys:

Post will spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of parole, Kasich said.