China Arnold seeks clemency from Ohio governor after 2006 baby death
The Dayton mother convicted in the 2011 trial is asking for a review of her life sentence without parole.
By Samir Doyle ·
China Arnold filed a clemency application with the Ohio Parole Board on October 28. The request asks Governor Mike DeWine to shorten her sentence. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2011.
Arnold was convicted after a third trial. The first trial ended in a mistrial. A second trial produced a guilty verdict that was later overturned. The final conviction stemmed from events in 2005.
In 2005, Arnold argued with her partner. She placed her four week old daughter, Paris Talkey, in a microwave for two minutes. The child died from the heat within seconds of being put in the machine.
Dr. Derrick Forward, president of the Dayton branch of the NAACP, announced the group will support Arnold. The organization plans to send a letter to DeWine urging him to grant her request. Forward spoke at a press conference last week about the case.
Forward argued that Arnold could have been released years ago if she had pleaded guilty. “Had she pleaded guilty to a murder she maintains she did not commit, she could’ve been eligible for release many years ago,” Forward said. He noted that her decision to contest the charges led to the life sentence.
The clemency process is now active in Columbus. DeWine has not yet responded to the application. The Ohio Parole Board will review the file before making a recommendation to the governor.
