Remembering Police Officer William Bedford and
Pharmacist James Christy

 

A Senseless Murder

On August 13, 1974, pharmacist James Christy, the owner of Christy’s Drug Store, was working behind the pharmacy counter.

According to Assistant Cuyahoga Country Prosecutor Thomas Tenwick, Mr. Christy was well known as a pillar in the community. Tenwick said that, although Mr. Christy had been robbed before, “He still had his door open to people in need.”

Around 4:00 p.m., three thugs entered the pharmacy. The group consisted of brothers Anthony and Julius Nesbitt and Eugene Fuller.

The three men approached the pharmacy counter and asked Mr. Christy for a bottle of castor oil. Mr. Christy returned with the bottle and gave it to the men. Anthony Nesbitt then pulled a gun and told Mr. Christy to “freeze.”

Mr. Christy became scared when he saw the gun and tried to run. Anthony Nesbitt then shot Mr. Christy in the back.

The Nesbitt brothers and Fuller fled out of the store and went to a school parking lot. They got into a getaway car and left the scene.

Mr. Christy was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival at 5:35 p.m.

Convicted and Sentenced to Death

Since Julius Nesbitt was only 17 years old, he was committed to the Ohio Youth Commission. Fuller pled guilty to robbery and was placed on probation. Anthony Nesbitt was charged with the aggravated murder of Mr. Christy. Nesbitt went to trial and faced the death penalty.

On January 23, 1975, a jury had no trouble finding Anthony Nesbitt guilty of murdering James Christy. On February 14, 1975, Common Pleas Judge John C. Bacon sentenced Nesbitt to death. Nesbitt became to first person from Cuyahoga County to be sentenced to death since the death penalty was reinstated on January 1, 1974.

At sentencing, Judge Bacon stated he imposed the death penalty partly as “protection against the possibility of individuals being executed by armed robbers.”

Judge Bacon also said Nesbitt was the first inmate he had sentenced to death since he became a judge in 1957. He stated, “It’s an emotional thing for me. I was feeling compassion (for) the victim and the protection of society from those who are too aggressive with firearms.”

Judge Bacon could never have known how prophetic his words would become years later.

Death Row To Parole

Nesbitt spent three years on death row until the 8th District Ohio Court of Appeals gave him a break.

The appeals court said that a small wording error in the indictment made Nesbitt ineligible for the death penalty. To make matters worse, they stated the error required a re-sentencing rather than a retrial. Nesbitt’s sentence was immediately reduced to life with parole eligibility.

The first record of Nesbitt coming up for parole is in 1989. Nesbitt received a risk score of four out of a possible five. Nesbitt received a one-year continuance until 1990. In that year, the parole board records state the following:

• The Ohio Parole Board states Nesbitt had “Good Institutional Programs.” Nothing in the records we received show that Nesbitt had any institutional programming. We did find that Nesbitt took the time to post a personal ad in a Cleveland newspaper on July 17, 1986. The ad reads, “ I would like to correspond with a lady that understands the meaning of friendship. I am 30 years old and I am looking for that special friend.”
• The Ohio Parole Board records also state that Nesbitt deserved parole based on “Time Served.” Nesbitt had served only 15 years of a life sentence. Keep in mind, Nesbitt originally was sentenced to death, and the only reason he got life was because of a technicality.
• The records also state Nesbitt has “Good Community Support.” Nothing supports that claim. Considering Nesbitt brutally killed a pillar in the Cleveland community, we have no idea who would have supported his parole. Also, Nesbitt’s only parole plan was a halfway house in Columbus. Obviously, none of those “mystery supporters” wanted Nesbitt in their neighborhood.

Unbelievably, the parole board granted Nesbitt parole in August 1990. That decision would almost cost a veteran Columbus, Ohio Police Officer his life.

What Is Past Is Prologue

When Columbus Police Officer William Bedford, an 18-year veteran law enforcement officer, kissed his wife and children goodbye on a cold morning in November 18, 1991, he never could have imagined he might never be coming home.

That same morning, former death row inmate and parolee Anthony Nesbitt left his halfway house in Columbus, Ohio. He was armed with two guns.

Officer Bedford arrived at BancOhio National Bank to work his special duty shift. He was in full police uniform and was clearly identifiable as a police officer.

At 9:20 a.m., Anthony Nesbitt stormed the bank. His hat was pulled down low and his hands were in his pockets. According to Officer Bedford, “He had a weird smirk on his face. I got a bad feeling when I saw him walk through the door.”

Nesbitt stormed up to Officer Bedford and screamed something. He pulled the gun out of his pocket, put in Officer Bedford’s face and pulled the trigger.

As Nesbitt fired the gun, Officer Bedford’s years of experience kicked in. Somehow he managed to move to the right and fall to the floor. The bullet meant for Officer Bedford’s head went into his arm and exited his elbow. Nesbitt then fired two more shots trying to kill Officer Bedford. By the Grace of God, the gun was empty. It turned out that Nesbitt had accidentally put the loaded gun in his waistband and put the partially loaded gun in his pocket.

From the floor, Officer Bedford started firing at Nesbitt. As Officer Bedford got to his feet, he saw Nesbitt running for the door and turning back to fire the gun back into the bank. Bedford fired and hit Nesbitt multiple times. Nesbitt only had the opportunity to fire one bullet. Fortunately, it did not hit the one customer and three employees in the bank

Nesbitt flew through the glass door. Although he was badly wounded, Officer Bedford held Nesbitt at gunpoint until other Officers arrived. Nesbitt was arrested and taken to jail.

Officer Bedford would survive. To this day, he states, “I thought I was going to die. I don’t know how I made it out alive. It’s a miracle I am still here.”

Officer Bedford managed to stay on the Columbus Police Force two more years. Unfortunately, the trauma from the shooting severely affected officer Bedford and caused severe post-traumatic stress disorder. He was forced to retire in 1993.

On March 24, 1992, Nesbitt went back to prison for violating his parole. He also was convicted of felonious assault for shooting Officer Bedford.

Nesbitt knew he could not be paroled right away, so for seven years, he did absolutely nothing in prison to rehabilitate himself. When he realized he was eligible for parole, Nesbitt took a flurry of classes between 2000 and 2002. When he didn’t get paroled, he stopped taking classes again. According to the parole board’s records, he has not taken a class in nine years. His parole records indicate that in 2004 he “refused to participate” in any programming.

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UPDATE: Officer William Bedford passed away on April 7, 2021 after a year long battle with ALS. Two months later we were able to help reverse the parole of the inmate who shot Officer Bedford. We will continue to oppose his release at every future parole hearing.

While the injuries Officer Bedford suffered after being shot were not directly related to his death, we fully believe those injuries did contribute to his illness. Officer Bedford was a true hero who dedicated his life to making a difference, both as a Vietnam Veteran and a Columbus Ohio Police Officer. We are proud to call him friend and he will be missed. Rest In Peace Officer Bedford. You will never be forgotten.