Remembering Cheryl Segal

 

A Night Out Takes a Turn for the Worst

Cheryl Segal was enjoying a fun night out on Saturday October, 17, 1970. Cheryl, a 16-year-old junior at Woodward High School, and her 16-year-old friend spent the evening at the Firefly Tavern, a popular local cafe. While at the cafe, the girls met James Findley, a self-proclaimed artist and mechanic. At the end of the evening, Cheryl and her friend were tired and decided to go home. They did not have a car, so Findley offered to give them a ride. While driving, Cheryl’s friend noticed a gun in the car’s glove compartment. Findley drove Cheryl’s friend home first. Her friend had a bad feeling about Findley and begged Cheryl to spend the night at her house. Cheryl told her friend she wanted to go home. She would never be seen alive again.

When Cheryl did not arrive home, her mother called police and filed a missing persons report. Police began searching for Cheryl. The next day, two men on horseback found Cheryl’s naked, mutilated body on a bank next to a creek. She had been shot in the head. She had a deep cut extending from her left shoulder to her right thigh. A capital letter “Z” was carved into her stomach. Her left nipple was cut off. She also had trauma to her vagina. All she was wearing were two small earrings and a small bead type bracelet.

A Troubling History

Police immediately went looking for James Findley. Police found out that Findley had a long rap sheet. He was first arrested at the age of 14 and spent time at a boys’ industrial school. Findley had been arrested five times as an adult and spent 19 months at a state mental hospital. In 1967, he was paroled from prison and placed in a halfway house.

Findley was arrested at his girlfriend’s house and immediately tried to blame everyone else for the murder, from his brother-in-law to members of his motorcycle gang. Everyone Findley accused voluntarily came to the police department and cleared themselves. Findley also tried to give misleading statements to police while being interrogated. Police found a pool of blood on the passenger seat of Findley’s car. Findley said he later tried to burn the seat after he poured battery acid on it to get rid of the stench of the blood. He claimed his brother-in-law borrowed the car and he had no idea how the blood got there. Police also found tires tracks matching those of Findley’s car at the crime scene. Findley was charged with the murder of Cheryl Segal.

A Killer Escapes A Death Sentence

At Findley’s trial, the jury heard from multiple witnesses who had found Cheryl’s belongings all over town the day after the murder. One witness found her yellow poncho, one witness found her shoe and another found her wallet. A blood expert from the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation testified that blood found on Findley’s jacket and other clothing as well as inside the automobile matched the blood type of Cheryl Segal. During the trial, authorities found a fifteen-page pornographic letter hidden in Findley’s shoe. According to court documents, the letter was addressed to Findley’s wife and “is replete with the most minute description of sex perversion engaged in by the defendant and [his wife] (name omitted for safety reasons).” Based on the evidence, a jury consisting of eight men and four women had no problem finding Findley guilty of murdering Cheryl Segal. Findley was sentenced to death and was scheduled for execution on June 30, 1971.

Findley was 22 hours away from execution when his attorneys found some insignificant portions of the court transcript missing. The court postponed Findley’s execution while his attorneys filed a motion with the court for a new trial. A year later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional, which removed Findley from death row and made him parole eligible. Taking Findley off death row has now cost taxpayers over one million dollars.

“My First Two Years I Spent on ‘Death Row’”

While in prison Findley, became a dog trainer. Findley was so arrogant that he actually posted one of the pictures he took with a dog he trained on the Internet. The photo was featured in Findley’s online personal ad. In the posting, Findley states, “I’ve always tried to be myself and treat people as I want to be treated.” Findley also states, “My first two years I spent on ‘death row’ – got to within 22 hours of the electric chair before the ‘stay’ came from the governor back in 1971 – so you can say I’ve been to ‘hell’ and back.” Not one time in the ad does he mention Cheryl Segal or show any remorse. Findley also continued his artistic work while in prison. According to current Butler County, Ohio Prosecutor Mike Moser, “I was told some years ago by his [Findley’s] defense attorney the he [Findley] paints portraits in the institution and that his subject matter is the young lady he murdered.”