Case Facts:

In 1975 Paul Saultz pled guilty to one count of murder and was sentenced from 15 years to life in prison.

On November 26, 1974 15-year-old Roberta Francis left school and began walking home. She was looking forward to celebrating her mother's birthday that evening and also was excited about the long Thanksgiving weekend. Paul Saultz, who was the brother of a boy Roberta was dating, saw Roberta heading through a wooded area. Saultz followed Roberta into the woods and attacked her. Based on the autopsy report it was obvious Roberta fought for her life. Saultz eventually got Roberta to the ground and choked her until she was unconscious. Saultz then raped her. When Saultz realized Roberta was still alive he took a broken bird bath pedestal and beat Roberta's face with it until she died. Saultz covered Roberta's body with brush and fled the scene.

When Roberta did not return home her parents called police and a frantic search began to find her. Two days later Roberta's brother found her bloody body in the woods. The case went unsolved until March 1975 when police officers raided Saultz's brother's home. During the drug raid police found Saultz's bloody clothes and he was arrested. When police questioned Saultz he admitted to raping and killing Roberta. Saultz stated "All I wanted was a little". Saultz went to trial however he pled guilty to murder the day before the jury was scheduled to hear his taped confession.

Prior to Roberta's rape and murder Saultz had been released twice from state custody after being brought in for sex related offenses, He also had spent time in the state mental hospital where he continually harassed female patients. Shortly after his release from the state mental hospital he raped and killed Roberta. Despite the fact Saultz received a life sentence, had a long history of sexually deviant behavior, and had taken almost no classes to address his criminal behavior the Ohio Parole Board granted Saultz parole in 2005. No one notified Roberta's family and no one was able to oppose his release. Saultz immediately went back to his old ways. By June 2006 he was back in prison for assaulting multiple women at a workshop for the mentally challenged. We located Roberta's family and they immediately protested Saultz's release as did Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien. O'Brien called Saultz a "ticking time bomb". Twice Saultz's parole has been denied since he was brought back to prison for volating his parole.

Paul Saultz has been released three times from state custody and was brought back every time for sex related crimes, including rape and murder. Placing Saultz back on the streets would create an incredible risk to public safety and would not further the interests of justice. We implore the Ohio Parole Board to give Roberta's family some peace and protect he community by continuing Paul Saultz for the maximum ten years before his next parole hearing. Based on the fact Paul Saultz brutally raped and killed an innocent 15-year-old girl and the fact that Saultz has been committing sex crimes for over 40 years we believe Paul Saultz should be required to serve his maximum sentence of LIFE in prison.