Displaying items by tag: Frank Sprenz

A man sentenced for a 1995 fire that killed two in their Akron home won't be getting out of prison for another four years.

The Summit County Prosecutor's Office says parole has been denied for Frank Sprenz, who was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

Sprenz paid another man, Ramon Wright, five hundred dollars to set a fire that was meant to scare one of the victims. 36 year-old Kay Westfall and 15 year-old Jessica Bittner died in that fire.

Wright is serving life for aggravated murder.

Sprenz won't be eligible for parole until July 2020.

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(Summit County Prosecutor's Office, news release) Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh announced today that the Ohio Parole Board has denied parole for Frank Sprenz. Representatives from the Summit County Prosecutor's Office travelled to Columbus for Tuesday's hearing and were successful in convincing the Ohio Parole Board to keep Sprenz in prison.

Sprenz, 86, was convicted in 1996 on two counts of Complicity to Commit Involuntary Manslaughter and one count of Complicity to Commit Aggravated Burglary and was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

In 1995, 36-year-old Kay Westfall and 15-year-old Jessica Bittner died in a fire at their Akron home. Investigators determined Sprenz paid Ramon Wright five-hundred dollars with the intent of scaring one of the victims. Wright, who is currently serving a life sentence for aggravated murder, set fire to the victims' home.

Sprenz has a long criminal history, even appearing on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List. Sprenz was also an inmate at the infamous Alcatraz prison.

"Frank Sprenz has not shown any remorse or taken responsibility for what happened. He is a life-long criminal and needs to remain in prison," said Prosecutor Walsh. "Because of the actions of Frank Sprenz, two people died, including a 15-year-old high school student."
Sprenz will not be eligible again for parole until July of 2020.