Parker sentenced to 20 years for role in Granny D’s robbery
Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram
ELYRIA — Scotty Parker had nothing to say Friday when he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role as the getaway driver in a string of robberies that left the owner of a Lorain pizzeria dead last year.
But prosecutors say Parker, 27, will be expected to do some talking during the trials of the other men charged in connection with the robberies, Neil Simpson and Richar Perry.
He entered guilty pleas last week to involuntary manslaughter and other charges and — in exchange for his testimony against Simpson and Perry — prosecutors agreed to the 20-year prison sentence.
Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Tom Cahill said Parker had “manned up” to his role in the robberies, including the June 23, 2007, robbery of Granny D’s Pizza that left owner David Kowalczyk dead.
“Our goal is to get the person who actually killed David Kowalczyk,” he said.
Simpson, the alleged shooter, could get the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder and other charges.
Dolores Gibson, Kowalczyk’s sister, said after the hearing that she wants Simpson to pay the ultimate price and Parker’s plea bargain will help with that.
“I want to see Neil Simpson dead,” she said. “He took my brother’s life, and he’s not coming back.”
But Joe Kowalczyk, David Kowalczyk’s brother, said his Catholic faith prevents him from demanding that Simpson face execution if convicted.
“I’m not for the death penalty. I’d like to have them take the key and throw it away,” he said.
During the hearing, Parker stood impassively as another of David Kowalczyk’s sisters, Barbara Kowalczyk, said he had robbed the world of a good man.
“He was one of the greatest, most loving persons you would ever want to meet,” she said.
Todd Schill, an off-duty security guard who had stopped at Chapman’s Grocery Store in Lorain just before it was robbed on June 16, 2007, said Simpson mistook him for a Lorain police officer and, after disarming him, pointed his own pistol at his head. With the gun at his head, Simpson asked him how it would feel to die, Schill said.
Parker was involved in that robbery, he said, and should pay for his involvement.
“I hope your life isn’t easy,” Schill told Parker during the hearing.
Afterward, Schill, a former Cleveland police officer, said he thought he was going to die during the robbery and would never see his then 5-year-old daughter again.
“I kept thinking, ‘My little girl’s at home, my little girl’s at home,’ ” he said.
Parker and Simpson are also accused in the June 21, 2007, robbery at Jack & Diane’s Lounge, during which a customer was wounded when he was shot in the stomach, and the June 10, 2007, robbery of Don’s Marathon. Perry is charged in connection with all of the robberies except the one at Don’s Marathon.
Parker’s family declined to comment as they left county Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski’s courtroom after the hearing.
Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.
| |
|
Filed by Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram October 4th, 2008 in Local and State. Popularity: 1% |
 Email this story
 Print this story
Read comments and discuss this story
Report an innappropriate comment
|
In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement
and discussion guidelines.
You must be registered and logged in to post a comment. If you aren't already registered, click here. If you are registered, click here to log in.
Comments
Comment from
JZ
October 4, 2008, 10:15 am
Not to take responsibility from these createns, but, this a typical outcome of our nations/Nixons War On Drugs.
Comment from
The Raven
October 4, 2008, 6:58 pm
JZ…
You are kidding…right?
The word “DRUGS” did not appear in that article one damn time…and you blame drugs?
How about it’s the CRIMINALS fault, and theirs alone.
Grow a backbone, get off the pot and call crime, crime.
Drugs are never an excuse for crime except by those who use them. Just because you use it/them doesn’t make it right…
All three of these murdering pukes deserve the death penalty…period.
Some of the people who post here need a taste of the crap they spew…let a drug crazed zombie kill one of your kids JZ and see how you feel then…let a junkie rob your mother and then look into her face and say “it’s the drug wars fault mom”…
You said in a previous post that meth is no different than that “bathtub gin” they brewed during prohibition…man you need to learn to read and you need to pull that bug out of your azz regarding our drug laws…or you’re just that damn stupid.
Write a Comment