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Ohio man sentenced to 25 years for three robberies, murder in Columbus

Online Niel November 13, 2024

A Columbus man who committed three robberies over a period of several months, including two within a two-hour span and one that ended with another dead manwill spend at least 25 years in prison.

Earnest Hall, 27, of the Near East Side, pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbery, assault and murder in connection with three separate robberies.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Kimberly Cocroft ordered Hall to serve a life sentence without the possibility of living for at least 25 years. Hall had been scheduled to go to trial in 2025.

Franklin County Deputy Prosecutor Jason Manning said the first robbery occurred in August 2022. Hall approached a man outside a bar on South High Street and forced him to hand over money and a chain at gunpoint. Hall then shot the man in the stomach, but the man survived.

Around 9:30 p.m. on October 4, 2022, Hall and another man went to a home on the 600 block of East Woodrow Avenue. Manning said the men forced their way into the home at gunpoint and ordered everyone to lie on the floor.

One of the people at the house used Hall’s name while he was there and told police that Hall was wearing a red hoodie.

Less than two hours later, Columbus police received a call from Skyview Townhomes, located in the 600 block of East Morrill Avenue, about a shooting. Officers found 25-year-old Daeshawn Simington outside with multiple gunshot wounds.

Manning said Simington was inside a home when Hall and other people went to try to rob the occupants at gunpoint. Simington was able to return fire, hitting Hall, whose blood was found at the scene. Manning said Hall was found a short distance away in a yard. A red hoodie was located nearby.

Simington’s mother and brother spoke before Hall was sentenced Tuesday, describing the pain they felt at his loss and the hurt they see on the faces of Simington’s two daughters, now 5 and 8.

“He trusted anyone he came in contact with because he had a loving spirit,” said Michelle Collins, Simington’s mother. “Everybody was family to him because that’s how he was raised.”

Collins said she remains haunted by her youngest son’s final moments.

“It still pains me to remember the events that took place, to relive them even to write this statement because being a mother was extremely difficult,” Collins said. “Remembering our lives before that day and now after was extremely difficult.”

Kenneth Jones, one of Simington’s brothers, said that while his brother wasn’t perfect, he didn’t deserve to have his life cut short.

“Time won’t heal these wounds, but it will ease the pain,” Jones said. “He should be alive right now.”

Hall’s attorney, Toure McCord, said Hall was “mortified and remorseful” about his actions.

“He understands that the life he was leading was not fruitful in the sense that he was either going to die or he was going to stay where he was,” McCord said.

Judge Cocroft said she was frustrated and exhausted by sentiments like those expressed by McCord and other lawyers with clients in Hall’s position.

“I don’t know why you didn’t value yourself enough to surround yourself with different people,” the judge said. “You sacrificed your sense of freedom for a sense of belonging that never existed.”

Hall tried to apologize to Simington’s family in court on Tuesday, however, Cocroft stopped him after asking Simington’s family if they were ready to hear an apology and they said they were not.

Hall is the second person to plead guilty in connection with Simington’s death.

William Smith, 24, pleaded guilty in 2023 to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery. Cocroft sentenced him to 17 to 22 1/2 years in prison.

Two other co-defendants, Delon Scott, 25, and Tyreese Fields, 21, are scheduled to go to trial on Nov. 18.

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