The Ohio 4

In August of 1991 two horrendous murders took place leading to the wrongful convictions of four men. All four men are Innocent of committing murder in Lorain OH. Mean Street News believes & alleges they were framed in the Marsha Blakely Case by the very Detectives investigating the homicides of Blakely & her roommate FLOYD EPPS, whose murder remains unsolved. 

A young woman named Marsha Blakely was tragically murdered. Her body was discovered in the early morning hours of August 8th, behind the "Gateway Plaza" across from the local projects, showing signs of a brutal attack, 25-30 torture like stab wounds, with a broken neck, fractured ribs, and a slit throat. Notably, hours before the discovery of Blakely's body, her roommate Floyd Epps also fell victim to violence when he was struck by a vehicle, dragged, and had his throat slit. 

Police at the time, believed that these two crimes were related the Marsha Blakely case & Floyd Epps case warranted further investigation.

The four men involved in this harrowing story—John Edwards, Benson Davis, Lenworth Edwards, and Alfred Cleveland—were later tried and wrongfully convicted of murdering Marsha Blakely. To this day, the investigation into Floyd Epps’ murder remains open.

Each of these men had provided alibis that should have exonerated them and no physical evidence ever found against them, yet John Edwards and Benson Davis remain incarcerated. Lenworth Edwards, who served 29 years, and Alfred Cleveland, who served 27 years, were paroled in 2020 but have consistently maintained their innocence throughout the case and even to the parole board.

Currently, Alfred Cleveland and Lenworth Edwards continue their fight not only to bring John Edwards and Benson Davis home but also to clear their own names. Their shared goal is to seek justice for the victims, Marsha Blakely and Floyd Epps, alongside their grieving families.

In November, Josh Dubin from the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice appeared on The Joe Rogan podcast to raise awareness about the Marsha Blakely case. He explained the political nonsense that occurred during the recent election cycle, which hindered the then-current prosecutor from assisting in the exoneration of the four men. Lorain County Prosecutor JD Tomlinson faced a politically motivated attack, being charged with three felonies just a week before early voting, which appeared to influence the outcome of the 2024 election. For a more in-depth look at the issues involved, you can read my article "Election Interference in Lorain County."

After Tomlinson lost his bid for re-election in November, all charges against him were dismissed. Under public pressure before leaving office, he moved to file motions for a new trial for The Ohio Four.

Mean Street News has closely followed developments related to the Tomlinson case. After a thorough examination of the documents shared by Josh Dubin, our own Katie arrived at the same conclusion: these men are innocent.

Included below is a photo gallery showcasing pertinent testimony, along with all episodes from Mean Street News covering the Ohio Four. For a detailed article on the case, click here; the defense and Katie share the same conclusion regarding their innocence.

I urge you to reach out to the new county prosecutor, Tony Cillo, who retracted defense motions for new trials upon taking office in January 2025. It is important that he knows our expectation is for him to finally do the right thing after three decades and work to free the four men wrongfully convicted.

A fresh re-investigation into the murders of Marsha Blakely and Floyd Epps is imperative. We should never exploit lives for political gain.

IT'S TIME TO FREE THE OHIO 4!