YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office is objecting to the release of 4 inmates who have a history of violent offenses. Defendants Terry Wilkie, Curtis Cooper, Richard Ward, and Durral Justice have all been convicted of violent crimes. Wilkie, Cooper, and Justice have all been sentenced to life in prison, while Ward was sentenced to 15-40 years behind bars.
Terry Wilkie was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for the 1995 shooting death of Roney Tucker. Wilkie was found guilty following a jury trial. Wilkie shot Tucker on St Louis Street after Tucker crashed his vehicle into a tree. Witnesses state that several men walked over to the car, and two of the men shot into the vehicle several times. Wilkie was found guilty of Murder, the accompanying Firearm Specification, and Having Weapons While Under Disability. Curtis Cooper was Wilkie’s co-defendant and was also sentenced to 18 years to life for the shooting death of Tucker. The testimony from witnesses also placed Cooper at the scene of the crime and as one of the shooters who unleashed a barrage of bullets into Tucker’s vehicle. Both Wilkie and Cooper are said to have gang affiliations.
Wilkie and Cooper have both had multiple rule infractions since their incarceration. Cooper has continued to participate in gang activity while in prison. He was involved in a gang-related assault of another inmate in 2022, found in possession of marijuana, and disobeyed direct orders. Given Cooper’s and Wilkes’s well-documented history of gang-related violence and infractions during incarceration, the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office believes that the release of either of these inmates could create a public safety risk.
Durral Justice was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the Murder of Ralph Miller and the shooting of Charles Glenn. Justice was 16 at the time of the Murder and shooting. Justice attempted to rob Miller and Glenn in 2005 with his co-defendant Alonzo Thigpen. Justice was convicted of one count of Murder, one count of Attempted Murder, and two counts of Aggravated Robbery. Justice has had 48 rule infractions from 2008 through 2024. During his incarceration, Justice has continued to show a lack of respect for authority and an unwillingness to obey commands, and he has a history of physical altercations with other inmates. Although Justice was a juvenile at the time of his crimes, his actions while incarcerated are not consistent with a person who has been rehabilitated.
Richard Ward was sentenced to 15-40 years in prison after being convicted of sexual assault of two young children. Ward was convicted of two counts of Rape, one count of Gross Sexual Imposition, one count of Felonious Assault, one count of Kidnapping, one count of Disseminating Matter Harmful to Juveniles, and one count of Abduction. These charges stem from the continuous Rape of a 6-year-old and 9-year-old girl from 1986 – 1988. Ward has 35 rule infractions while incarcerated, with three coming from 2025. Ward’s lengthy infraction record includes fighting with other inmates, sexual harassment, disobeying direct orders, and disrespecting staff members. Due to the nature of Ward’s offenses and his behavior while incarcerated, there is reason to believe that he will engage in further criminal conduct, and his release could be putting the public’s safety at risk.