Rememberance

Thursday, May 31, 2001

Life in prison
No possibility of parole for convicted murderer John Michael Robinson
By YENA PEACH HART
Staff writer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Michael Robinson will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing two area women and wounding a Fremont man during robberies last year. 
After about six hours of hearings Wednesday in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court, three judges imposed two life sentences without the possibility of parole for the killings of Oak Harbor resident Crystal Pierson and Clyde resident Denise Clink.

The judges added 10 years to Robinson's sentence for shooting Fremont resident Robert Hovis in the hand and cheek and another nine years for using a firearm in the three offenses.

Upon entering court Wednesday morning, Rob-inson pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder.

Afterward, during a mitigation hearing to determine whether Robinson should be sentenced to death or life in prison, Robinson addressed the court.

His deep voice faltered as he cried and offered his apologies to the victims and their family members.

"I realize what I've done is absolutely horrifying," said Robinson, 23, of Sandusky. "I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one. I want you to know that I truly am sorry."

The case was heard by Sandusky County Common Pleas judges Harry A. Sargeant Jr. and Margaret K. Weaver and Ottawa County Common Pleas Judge Paul C. Moon after Robinson waived his right to a trial by jury in March.

Ten remaining charges against Robinson were dismissed as the result of a plea negotiation, which officials say had been discussed for at least two months.

Pierson, 20, was shot and killed April 21, 2000, during a robbery at Two Z's Drive Thru in Ottawa County's Carroll Township. Three days later, Clink, 42, was shot during a robbery at Gene's Drive Thru, a carryout in Green Creek Township near Clyde, that she owned with her husband, Rick Clink.

Hovis, 50, was wounded the same day as Clink's murder while he was tending bar at The Gables on East State Street. Robinson robbed Hovis and then drove to the Clinks' establishment and committed that crime within about 20 minutes, authorities said.

In court Wednesday, Hovis testified that Robinson entered the Gables about 9:30 p.m. that night and kept pacing the floor and acting strangely.

Hovis testified that Robinson didn't order anything and that Robinson said he was nervous about a girl. Hovis said he then bought Robinson a beer so that he might relax.

Hovis said Robinson then asked him for a sack and pointed a gun to his head.

" 'Now fill it,' " Hovis said Robinson told him.

"I just knew that by the look in his eyes that he intended to shoot me," Hovis said.

Hovis said he gave Robinson cash from the register. Robinson shot him in the hand and then demanded money from the bar's safe, he said.

"I told him you can have anything you want just don't shoot me again," Hovis said from the witness stand.

After giving Robinson contents from the safe, Hovis tried to lock himself in the back room and was then shot in the face. He said he then fell to the floor, held his breath and pretended he was dead until Robinson left.

Hovis then called the bar's owner and police.

Telephones calls, a cigarette butt and bullets left at the crime scenes led authorities to target Robinson as their prime suspect.

Two FBI agents contacted Robinson's mother Christine Dillender of Norwalk, who helped them to locate her son through telephone calls, said Sandusky County Sheriff's Office Detective Jim Consolo.

The agents discussed the events over the phone with Robinson April 26 but he denied any involvement, Consolo said.

Five days later on May 1, authorities apprehended Robinson and a companion, Dawn Dennis, 19, also of Sandusky at a Motel 6 in Houston. Authorities were tipped off to their whereabouts after the two attempted to cash a check at a sporting goods store in a Houston mall.

Consolo and detective Lee Swartz, now retired, along with former Sandusky Prosecutor John Meyers and Ottawa County Sheriff's detective Steven J. Levorchick, went to Houston to bring Robinson and Dennis back.

When he was apprehended in Houston, Robinson had in his possession a Beretta .25-caliber handgun that ballistic testing determined was used in all three crimes, Levorchick testified Wednesday. Robinson purchased the firearm April 13, 2000, at Firearms Unlimited in Milan, Consolo said.

Levorchick also said a former girlfriend of Robinson's told law enforcement officers that Robinson met her in Castalia on April 21, 2000, and showed her the gun that was later used to commit the crimes. She told authorities that Robinson fired the gun to check that it was operable, the detective said.

Consolo testified that two shell casings which match Robinson's gun were found at The Gables, one underneath an ashtray and another in the back room by a safe. In addition, testing done by Diane Larson, an agent for Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation, confirmed Robinson's DNA was on a cigarette butt taken into evidence at the East State Street tavern.

Levorchick testified that "two maps with pink highlighting depicting a route that will get you to Two Z's Drive Thru and bypass the two bridges (which were closed for repairs)" were also found with Robinson's belongings when he and Dennis were apprehended. A pink highlighter and a box of American Eagle .25-caliber bullets also were recovered, he said.

At 10:40 p.m. April 24, 2000, a 911 call placed by Ervin Ott, a customer at Gene's, was received by the Huron County Sheriff's Office, only 21 minutes after a 911 call from Hovis at The Gables, Consolo said. Ott placed the call on his cell phone.

Robinson had worked as a delivery person for Polar Pure Ice Co. in Sandusky and had delivered ice to the victims' places of employment for months prior to the shootings, Consolo said.

"All three crime scenes were on Mr. Robinson's route," he said.

Consolo said between $200 and $300 was taken from The Gables and about $300 to $400 was taken from Gene's.

Ameritech phone records confirmed that five calls had been placed from The Gables pay phone to Robinson's pager between 9:18 and 10:18 p.m. April 24, 2000. Consolo said the pager was in the possession of Robinson's friend, Gabe Zeller of Sandusky.

As part of the investigation, Consolo contacted Paul Sigsworth, a former detective and now captain for the Erie County Sheriff's Office, asking him to locate Zeller.

Sigsworth interviewed Zeller who gave the police the pager.

"Zeller wasn't real cooperative," Consolo said. "He said he didn't know who paged him."

Consolo testified that Robinson said he told Dennis he committed the crimes while the two were on the run. Dennis, who pleaded no contest to an obstructing justice charge, is serving a two-year diversion program. In diversion, charges are against a person are dismissed if he or she successfully completes the program.

A condition of Dennis's diversion was that she be willing to testify against Dennis. She was at the courthouse Wednesday, but her testimony was not needed and she was sent home, Consolo said.

Robinson's mother, Chris Dillender of Norwalk, and Mary Mitchell of Port Clinton, the mother of Robinson's two children, also testified.

Dillender apologized to the victims' families. She told the court that Robinson is a caring person.

"I love him as my son," Dillender said. "Nothing's going to change the fact that he's my son."

Mitchell said Robinson has always been a good father to his children Tiffany, 8, and Adam, 6.

"I don't know how Tiffany would handle it if she couldn't see her father," Mitchell said.

Another artical.....

FAMILIES VENT ANGER
�Carryout killer� apologizes, gets 2 life terms in plea deal
Victims� families rebuke gunman, but find closure with sentence

John M. Robinson in the courtroom. THE BLADE/LORI KING

BY KIM BATES
BLADE STAFF WRITER

FREMONT - John Michael Robinson sobbed in court yesterday as he apologized for terrorizing northwest Ohio when he gunned down two carryout clerks and shot a bartender during a week-long crime spree.

"I can�t imagine what it would be like to lose two people at that magnitude," Robinson said, as his family members wept in the background. "It�s absolutely horrifying."

Robinson, 23, of Sandusky, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder to avoid the death penalty.

A three-judge panel hearing the case in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court sentenced Robinson to two life sentences with no chance of parole for killing Crystal Pierson, 20, and Denise Clink, 42, in April, 2000.

Ottawa County Appointed Judge Paul Moon, above left, listens to former bartender Robert Hovis describe how he was shot by the 'carryout killer' in a Fremont bar. THE BLADE/LORI KING
 
He was sentenced to 13 years in prison for shooting the bartender, Robert Hovis, 50.

The families said they agree with the plea bargain. But during the hearing, they vented their anger at Robinson, whose crime spree put fearful carryout owners on alert in rural northwest Ohio. Some convenience stores closed early and stopped employees from working alone. Police stepped up patrols as they looked for the man they dubbed the "carryout killer.��

Ms. Clink�s 20-year-old daughter, Rachel, glared at Robinson while she told him he stole her mother - her best friend. Robinson turned his head away while Miss Clink screamed at him from just a few feet away.

"There are no words to describe what you�ve taken from us," she shouted. "As for Crystal Pierson and my mother, you may have taken their lives, but their spirits will live in our hearts and minds forever."

Sandusky County authorities escort John Michael Robinson to court, where a three-judge panel heard testimony. THE BLADE/LORI KING
 
Tracy Pierson scolded the man who shot her sister on April 21, 2000. Tracy arrived at the Two Z�s Drive-Thru outside of Oak Harbor shortly after her sister had been shot. When she entered the store, she found Crystal lying in a pool of blood. She had been shot in the back of the head after she had given Robinson all the money in the cash register - about $155.

"My family finds relief in knowing there will come a day when God will judge you, John Robinson," Miss Pierson said.

Ms. Clink was shot in the head on April 24 at Gene�s Drive-Thru near Green Springs, about a half-hour after Robinson shot Mr. Hovis in a Fremont bar.

Through police and witness testimony yesterday, prosecutors showed that Robinson was calculated in his attacks on the two carryout workers, who were alone. They said Robinson was desperate for money because he was unemployed and living in a Monroe hotel with his girlfriend.

Authorities said they found an Ottawa County map in Robinson�s belongings that contained a highlighted, back-road path to the State Rt. 2 carryout where Miss Pierson worked.

Detective Capt. Jim Consolo of the Sandusky County sheriff�s department testified that Robinson drank beer and smoked part of a cigarette before he shot Mr. Hovis twice at The Gables Bar.

The detective said Robinson left the bar and headed on a nine-minute drive to Gene�s Drive-Thru, where he robbed and fatally shot Ms. Clink. Captain Consolo said Robinson knew about the stores because he had delivered ice to each of them for a former employer.

After the second murder, Robinson fled to Houston, where he was captured on May 1 because his girlfriend, Dawn Dennis, tried to cash a $135 personal check for shoes.

Part of the reason he was caught, authorities said, is because Mr. Hovis lived to tell his story to police. He did so again in court.

The former bartender recalled when Robinson - a man who identified himself only as Mike - entered the bar and started acting strangely. He was pacing the floor, talking about troubles with a girlfriend, and repeatedly staring out the window.

Mr. Hovis said he was so concerned that he bought the man a beer.

But later, Mr. Hovis said Robinson turned on him, pulled a gun, and demanded that he fill a bag with money.

Mr. Hovis pointed his finger to his head when he remembered how Robinson tried to shoot him. A first bullet missed. Then the bartender purposely flinched, and a second bullet lodged in his cheek instead.

"I just knew when I looked in his eyes - he intended to shoot me," said Mr. Hovis, who was not seriously injured.

Robinson�s mother, Chris Dillender, took the stand and described him as a loving son, brother, and father to his two children, an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.

She said Robinson rarely saw his father while he was growing up. Mrs. Dillender said she moved her children around when they were young, and Robinson dropped out of high school.

Through tears, Mrs. Dillender apologized for her son�s behavior.

"I want to say I�m sorry. There�s nothing I can do to bring them back for you," she said to the victims� family members, who were packed into three large pews. "But he�s still my son. I can�t stop being his mother."

Ottawa County Prosecutor Mark Mulligan said he and Tom Stierwalt, the Sandusky County prosecutor, offered Robinson a plea bargain after consulting with the victims� families. Many just wanted closure, Mr. Mulligan said.

"This was probably the best outcome they could hope for," he said.

Adrian Cimerman, one of Robinson�s attorneys, said the defense sought a life sentence after seeing the evidence against their client.

"All and all, I think everybody was pleased with the outcome," he said.

Miss Clink said she is satisfied with the sentence because it will begin to end her nightmare. Other family members agreed.

"I�m glad it�s over - it�s finally over," Miss Clink said. "We would have preferred to have seen the death sentence considering the circumstances, but this is better for everyone involved."

Another artical.....

Regional news
I deserve to die, carryout killer says

Attorney Adrian Cimerman, left, said his clients, John M. Robinson, told detectives he committed the crimes to support a drug habit 'to divert attention for his own moral shortcomings.' THE BLADE/LORI KING

BY KIM BATES
BLADE STAFF WRITER

PORT CLINTON - John Michael Robinson told detectives after his sentencing that he deserves the death penalty for killing two carryout clerks but joked about a week-long crime spree that terrorized northwest Ohio.

His interview with authorities on Wednesday night was a far cry from earlier in the day, when he sobbed uncontrollably in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court and apologized for the shootings.

"He didn�t show emotion when he was talking about the victims. He kind of laughed a few times," said Capt. Jim Consolo, a Sandusky County sheriff�s detective. "Matter of fact, I commented to him that the only remorse is that you got caught. And he said �Yes, I wish I hadn�t gotten caught.�"

Hours before the jail-house interview, Robinson, 23, wept in court after pleading guilty to aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder to avoid the death penalty for robbing and shooting Crystal Pierson, 20, and Denise Clink, 42. They were working alone in rural carryouts when they were killed.

Robinson received two life sentences with no chance of parole, plus 13 years for wounding a Fremont bartender in another shooting.

His crime spree in April, 2000, put frightened carryout owners on alert in northwest Ohio. Police stepped up patrols and convenience stores closed early in fear that the man dubbed the "carryout killer�� would strike again.

During the interview - held at Robinson�s request - he told detectives that he deserves the death penalty.

He escaped the death penalty as part of a plea bargain between prosecutors and the defense to provide closure to the victims� families. The agreement spared Robinson�s life because he was facing a possible death sentence in the case.

Robinson told Captain Consolo and Ottawa County sheriff�s Sgt. Randy Riedmaier that he would have asked for the death penalty if it hadn�t been for his mother, Chris Dillender, and his two children, Tiffany, 8, and Adam, 6.

He was transferred yesterday from the Ottawa County jail to the Lorain Correctional Institution, where he will remain for at least a month before being sent to a state prison. He was not allowed interviews in Lorain.

His attorney, Adrian Cimerman, said he could not comment on plea discussions with Robinson because of attorney-client privilege.

At the beginning of the interview, Robinson told the detectives that "he wanted to do the right thing" by talking candidly about the crimes.

Captain Consolo said he urged Robinson to be honest.

"We sat down and I told him bluntly at the beginning of the conversation there is no reason to lie anymore. We pretty much know everything," the captain said.

But Captain Consolo said he believes Robinson lied during much of the interview - until he was challenged by detectives.

In one exchange, the detectives asked Robinson whether he was truly remorseful for what he did. He responded that he was.

When they said they didn�t believe him, Captain Consolo said Robinson responded with a chuckle: "You�re right. I don�t care about them."

During the interview, Robinson�s sometimes cold and nonchalant attitude didn�t surprise Captain Consolo. He said Robinson was "cold," and that he "looked right through you" at the time of his arrest in May, 2000.

The detective said Robinson tried to shift responsibility for the crimes on his former girlfriend, Dawn Dennis, 18. Police said she played no role in the shootings.

"He tried to incriminate her, saying she knew more than she was leading on," Captain Consolo said.

Robinson was quick to offer an explanation for his actions.

He told the detectives he needed money for drugs and was strung out on LSD and cocaine when he robbed and shot his victims. Robinson said he blacked out during each crime.

But authorities said they don�t believe him because Robinson, an unemployed high school dropout, was a known drug dealer, not a drug user. They said he robbed the carryouts because he needed the money. At the time of the shootings, he was living with Miss Dennis in a Monroe, Mich., motel. The couple had only been going out for a week.

"It sounds to me like he�s looking for excuses now on why he did it," Captain Consolo said yesterday. "I told him he was a liar and I didn�t believe him."

Mr. Cimerman said he does not believe Robinson was taking drugs. He said authorities searched Robinson�s home and belongings but failed to find any drugs or paraphernalia.

"There was no evidence to support drug usage or that it was fueled by a desire for drugs," Mr. Cimerman said. "I think it�s a feeble attempt to divert attention for his own moral shortcomings."

Authorities said the interview with Robinson proved they knew their case. Captain Consolo said Robinson "didn�t add any information that we really didn�t know. He only confirmed some of it that we suspected."

One thing Robinson confirmed was that he stole a car to commit Miss Pierson�s murder at the Two Z�s Drive-Thru outside of Oak Harbor on April 21. He returned the vehicle to a Bellevue business later that night. He also admitted to disposing of a blood-stained sweatshirt in a Monroe trash bin.

He shared with detectives his thoughts while he was on the run from authorities - that his plan was to cross the border into Mexico to escape prosecution. Robinson fled northwest Ohio with Miss Dennis after killing Mrs. Clink at Gene�s Drive-Thru April 24 and shooting Fremont bartender Robert Hovis that same night.

Robinson and Miss Dennis were arrested May 1 in Houston.

By that time, Captain Consolo said Robinson admitted he was out of money and couldn�t afford to fix his broken-down car.

He expressed a feeling of invincibility at the time, and at one point told detectives he had been prepared to shoot a suspicious police officer if he had been provoked.

At the end of the interview, Robinson gave the detectives a pat on the back.

"He even commented on what a good case we had," the captain said. "He was very surprised. He said he left Two Z�s and Gene�s pretty clean."

Here are the pictures of what was in the papers