Akron man sentenced to death for killing mother of his two children

AKRON, Ohio - The Akron man convicted of killing two people and paralyzing another was sentenced to death on Friday.

In November, 30-year-old Dawud Spaulding was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted murder, felonious assault and domestic violence. A Summit County jury recommended the death penalty, which Judge Paul Gallagher imposed.

Before her death, Erica Singleton, the mother of Spaulding’s two children, went into hiding and filed a protection order, Summit County Prosecuting Attorney Sherri Bevan Walsh said.

Spaulding drove past the house where she was staying on Dec. 15, 2011 and shot Patrick Griffin, who was leaving the house. Griffin was left paralyzed. Walsh said Spaulding went back to the house later, and killed Singleton and Ernie Thomas, Griffin’s uncle.

“More than three-quarters of murdered women are stalked by their killers, and this case is unfortunately not an exception. Dawud Spaulding engaged in a pattern of stalking, attacking and terrorizing Erica before he killed her,” Walsh said in a news release on Friday.

“The prosecutors in my Domestic Violence Unit worked hard to ensure justice for Erica Singleton, Ernie Thomas and Patrick Griffin. I thank them, the jury and Judge Paul Gallagher, who presided over this case in the Domestic Violence Court.”

Spaulding is scheduled for execution on March 3, 2014.