Remembering Patricia Shannon

 

Unlimited Potential

Patricia Shannon personified the meaning of the phrase “unlimited potential.” Her father, a brigadier general, and her mother, a registered nurse, taught Patricia the importance of values, education and hard work. By the age of 28, Patricia had fully embodied all her parents had taught her. She had obtained a B.A. in mathematics from The Ohio State University, and was working toward a graduate degree in physics. Patricia also was studying computer sciences and used that education for her job at Ross Laboratories.

Patricia was so intelligent that she actually understood Einstein’s theory of relativity. She was so excited the day she finally grasped the theory that she threw a champagne party for her friends. Patricia was also fiercely independent. She had no desire to be married and did not need a man to define her. The love of Patricia’s life was her horse Oakie. Oakie was a dapple-gray appaloosa, and Patricia saw him five to six times a week. Patricia loved to show and ride Oakie whenever she had free time. The future was bright for Patricia Shannon.

Patricia was athletic and confident and was afraid of nothing. She believed she could handle anything that came her way. In the early morning hours of May 22, 1982, Patricia would be stalked by an evil predator. A monster she could not handle. That beast would take her life in the most horrific way.

A Night of Terror

On the night of May 21, 1982, Patricia decided to have a few drinks at Dick’s Den. Dick’s was a small local pub that was not far from her home. Patricia’s car was being repaired, so she walked to the bar. Patricia spent the majority of the evening at Dick’s talking with friends. At around 1 a.m., Patricia decided to head over to Ledo’s, another small local bar. Two people offered Patricia a ride and she politely refused their offers. She preferred to walk. Patricia had a beer at Ledo’s and decided to head home around 2:20 a.m. Patricia was about 400 yards from her house when Jack Limle spotted her.

On the evening of May 21, 1982, Jack Limle admittedly had been drinking and smoking marijuana. However, according to Limle, he was not impaired and fully responsible for his actions. In the early morning hours of May 22, 1982, Limle was driving home after a night out. On his way, he noticed an attractive woman walking down a quiet, deserted street. Limle instantly went into predator mode. He pulled his car, with the windows down, next to the woman. He called out to the stranger and asked her if she needed a ride. She told him “Leave me alone.” This response enraged Limle. The woman kept walking and Limle pulled his car over. Limle got out of his car, approached the woman and, according to witnesses who heard the confrontation, said “I told you to come here!” The woman again stated “Leave me alone!” Limle then said “Shut up bitch!” and began beating the woman in the face. Limle said he hit her three times. Neighbors said they heard many more blows. They said the cries of  “Leave me alone” got weaker and weaker and then stopped. No one called police because they thought it was just another domestic squabble. Limle then threw the woman’s body over his shoulder and grabbed her purse. He threw the woman and her purse into the backseat of his car and drove off.

Limle drove a short distance and, at some point, he decided to rape the woman. He drove his car to a quiet, deserted side street and took the woman out of the backseat. A couple who lived in the neighborhood looked out the window and saw Limle kneeling over the woman. The couple called police, thinking they had witnessed a drug transaction. It is believed the woman tried to fight off Limle’s attempts to rape her, which frustrated him. The couple looked out the window again and saw Limle throw the body onto the hood of his car and drive away. Limle then drove at a high rate of speed into a church parking lot. Prosecutors believe Limle’s plan was to stop suddenly before hitting a fence next to a freeway in hopes of throwing the woman’s body into a drainage ditch. Instead, Limle hit a fence post and the woman’s body rolled off the hood. Limle then drove away to hide his car because the woman’s blood was all over the hood and the car interior.

Still alive, fighting to live and looking for help, the beaten woman crawled about 50 feet towards the street, where there were houses. Limle came back and found the woman crawling for help. He dragged her back to a darker area near the church. He then undressed the woman and removed his shirt. It is likely there was a struggle at some point, which would explain the scratches on Limle’s back and shoulders. Later, police realized how close the woman was to getting help. Her tooth and blood were found near the edge of the street.

While Limle was in the process of assaulting the woman, police arrived at the church. They illuminated the parking lot with their cruisers’ headlights. In the field beyond the parking lot, they saw Limle, shirtless, standing over a woman’s body. His hands were wrapped around the woman’s neck. The minute Limle saw police, he took off running. One officer went after him and a call was put out to other officers in the area that the suspect was on the run. The second officer went to help the woman.

When the policeman arrived, he found the woman’s arms outstretched as if she had been crucified. Her breasts were exposed. She was naked from the waist down and her legs were spread apart. Her face was so bloody she could not be recognized. She was dead. A few minutes later, Limle was apprehended and arrested. He was covered with the woman’s blood. A short time later Columbus, Ohio Police identified the woman as Patricia.

Extensive Injuries

The crime scene itself was horrific, however the coroner’s report clearly detailed all that Patricia Shannon went through on that horrific night. The report stated Patricia suffered the following injuries at the hands of Jack Limle:

• A 1-1/4 inch laceration on her left eyebrow
• Two black eyes
• A broken nose
• A broken jaw
• A 3/4 x 1-1/4 inch laceration from her lower lip extending to inside her jaw
• Multiple abrasions on her chin
• One tooth missing, two teeth chipped
• Hemorrhaging to her neck and voice box
• Abrasions on her her right breast, left trunk, left hand, right arm, left knee and scattered contusions to both legs.

There was no doubt Patricia put up an incredible fight to survive. There was no evidence of the rape, and it was believed police arrived before Limle could finish what he started.

In the end, it was found Patricia died as a result of blunt blows to the head, strangulation and choking on her own vomit. Due to the combination of these injuries, it was impossible for the coroner to determine the exact cause of death.

Aggravated Murder Was The Case

The trial of Jack Limle was the legal equivalent of a boxing heavyweight fight. The prosecution was charging Limle with aggravated murder with death penalty specifications. Limle was also charged with attempted rape and kidnapping, as well as aggravated robbery for stealing Patricia’s purse.

Due to the cost of a death penalty case, Limle got free representation from the public defender’s office. Limle secured representation from Gary Schweickart and James Kura, two well-known attorneys who specialized in representing the worst of the worst. They knew the system well and knew how to work it in their favor. They would stop at nothing to win.

The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office was represented by assistant prosecutors Pat Sheeran and Thomas Beal. Two excellent, victim-oriented prosecutors who are likely two of the best attorneys who ever walked the halls of the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. What would happen next would result in one of the most controversial court cases in Franklin County, Ohio history.

The prosecution had a massive amount of evidence to convict Limle. The evidence included the police officer who actually witnessed Limle with his hands around Patricia’s throat. They also had Limle’s own words, in which he openly admitted responsibility for Patricia’s death. As for the details, Limle claimed he had an “alcoholic blackout.”

The defense had one option: to argue that Patricia accidentally died from choking on her own vomit. The remaining injuries were all simply “accidents.” The defense claimed Patricia died from asphyxiation on the sidewalk during the original assault. Since Patricia was already dead, the kidnapping and rape charges would not apply because you cannot rape and kidnap a corpse. The defense knew a jury would find Limle guilty before lunch. They waived a jury trial and opted for a three-judge panel consisting of Judges Frederick T. Williams, Jay C. Flowers and George G. Tyack.

Both sides presented their cases. The evidence against Limle was overwhelming and the prosecutors felt confident the judges would easily find Limle guilty of aggravated murder and sentence him to die in the electric chair. The judges deliberated four hours and 45 minutes. Their verdict: Patricia died accidentally. Limle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter (accidental murder while committing a felony). The judges also found Limle guilty of attempted rape and kidnapping. They found him not guilty of the aggravated robbery charge. Limle received a sentence of 19-65 years in prison. Up until their deaths, not one of the judges would discuss their decision.

A Troubled Past and Questionable Behavior

When Jack Limle killed Patricia Shannon, he was no stranger to the court system. As a youth Limle had been arrested for trespassing, intoxication, curfew violations, truancy, joyriding and auto theft. Limle also spent time at a maximum security juvenile facility. Rather then turn his life around, Limle started using drugs in the facility. According to Limle, he was released and began using marijuana and alcohol heavily. He cleaned up for a while when he met his wife, however he eventually resorted back to his old ways. He left his wife, who was seven months pregnant, and went right back to his old habits. Two months later, he killed Patricia Shannon.

Limle’s prison record is also concerning. He did get a GED. In 30 years, he never made an attempt to get an advanced education. Limle has also taken a few rehabilitation classes. However, as of 2009, he had not taken a victims awareness class. In addition, although it has been three decades, Limle had still not taken one sex offender class. The Ohio Department of Corrections records state Limle has “total denial of attempted rape.”

Limle did manage to find time to sue the State Of Ohio twice. Once in 1997 because he did not want to pay a co-payment for his health care. The other time in 2007, when Limle claimed to be an American Indian. Limle and six other inmates wanted tom-toms, rattles, feathers, headbands, sacred pipes, medicine bags and other items so they could practice their religion. Our concern here is not the lawsuits. It is the people Limle was associating with to file the suits. The cases involved a total nine inmates besides Limle. Three of those inmates are serving life sentences for murdering women. One is serving life for murdering a male youth. The other five are rapists. If Limle was serious about rehabilitation, these would be the last type of people he would have around him.