Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins spent part of his week in Columbus, appearing before the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, giving reasons why he believes the state death penalty law should remain in place.

Watkins spoke for about 20 minutes during the hearing, speaking out about Senate Bill 101 which would abolish Ohio's death penalty law.

According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction website, capital punishment has been a part of Ohio's justice system since 1803. Between 1803 and 1885, executions were carried out by public hanging where the crime happened. In 1885, a law was passed requiring executions to happen at the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus.

Ohio moved from hangings to the electric chair from 1897 to 1963. The state eliminated the electric chair as a method of execution in 2001, leaving lethal injection as the only method.

Watkins said Senate Bill 101 would take away a major deterrent to crime.

"This state needs to have a big stick for the worst of the worst," Watkins said. "The death penalty law is constitutional. It has been carried out 24 times in 2024 by eight other states. Our law needs to be enforced. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

He did say the law could be reformed but told state senators not to eliminate it.

Watkins spoke about local cases as examples of why the death penalty should remain. Trumbull County death row inmate Kenneth Biros was the first person in the U.S. to die by single drug execution.

"The victim's mother in that case, Mary Jane Heiss, was dying, but the Governor (Ted Strickland) got the job done so that she could see justice," Watkins said. He said he hopes victims of other heinous crimes see the same result.

Watkins brought up the Danny Lee Hill case, saying he wants the mother of the victim to see justice before it's too late. Hill's execution has been delayed until July 22, 2026. Miriam Fife said she'll have to live until 2026.

Another Trumbull County death row inmate, serial killer Stanley Adams, had his execution date delayed until 2028.

Watkins also called for the execution of the Boston Marathon Bomber.