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Convicted Craigslist killer appeals death sentence

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - A man convicted of killing three down-and-out men lured by bogus Craigslist job offers is appealing his death sentence to Ohio's highest court.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2fAPduF ) the Ohio Supreme Court will hear the appeal of 58-year-old Richard Beasley Tuesday morning.

Beasley was convicted of partnering with a teenage boy in 2011 to lure victims with promises of jobs on a southeast Ohio farm. The job offers were posted on Craigslist.

One would-be victim escaped and notified police after the pair's gun jammed. He ended up testifying at Beasley's trial.

Beasley says national media coverage prevented him from getting a fair trial in Summit County.

The attorney general's office says pretrial publicity barely made an impact on the jury pool.

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