PETITION AGAINST PAROLE

Hearing:  June 2023

Ohio Parole Board

Office of Victim Services

4545 W. Fisher Rd., Suite D

Columbus, OH. 43228

Email:  DRC.Victim.Services@odrc.state.oh.us

RE:  John Salyers, Jr.     

ID#: A185067

On October 6, 1984, John Salyers, Jr. murdered Stewart David Mendelson, a college student who was just two months shy of graduation.  Salyers had been paroled early from a Florida prison because of overcrowding and had been given a one-way bus ticket back to Athens, Ohio.  He had been home and out of prison for only four days when, while loitering on a downtown street, he spoke crudely to Stewart’s fiancée as she was walking down the street to join Stewart who was getting his car.  Walking back to see what was going on, Stewart was confronted by the two men, when without provocation, according to eyewitnesses, the companion punched Stewart in the face, while at the same time, Salyers stabbed Stewart in the neck.  Stewart bled to death on the way to the hospital.  Salyers fled and was apprehended several hours later.  At his trial, a witness quoted Salyers, saying (after he stabbed Stewart and before being arrested), “That dude I stabbed I think I killed him.  Let’s go downtown later and stick a Ni**er and watch him die.”   Salyers has a swastika tattooed on his hand.  After he was convicted, he cursed at Stewart’s family, demonstrating his complete lack of remorse even after conviction.

Salyers was convicted of murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.  He is now being considered for parole.  Salyers’ prison behavior has resulted in transfers to maximum-security prisons plus discipline time in solitary confinement.  He has a long history of violent and disturbing anti-social and racist behavior.  

We, the undersigned, STRONGLY OPPOSE parole for John Salyers, Jr.