Ohio college student who stabbed his roommate to death in a drunken fight over Arby's takeout is released from jail after 10 months despite victim's parents' tearful pleas to keep him behind bars
https://www.ohio.com/news/20181002/...son-release-in-stabbing-death-of-his-roommate
Kendal Scheid, 24, (left in court on Tuesday) was released from prison after serving 10 months for killing Duncan Unternahe, 23, (right) who he stabbed to death in a drunken, late night argument over Arby's takeout in December 2016
A college student who stabbed his roommate to death in a drunken fight over food was released from prison early on Tuesday after serving just 10 months behind bars.
Kendal Scheid, 24, was sentenced to three years imprisonment in 2017 for killing his friend, Duncan Unternaher, 23, after arguing with him about Arby's takeout in December 2016.
The pair, who were both students of The University of Akron, were at their off-campus apartment when Scheid stabbed him in the chest. Their other roommate called 911.
In October last year, Scheid pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years behind bars.
He was told by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Rowlands at the time that if he behaved in prison, she would let him out early.
On Tuesday, he was granted early release by the same judge despite Unternhaer's parents' protests.
Before she made her ruling, Unternaher's parents pleaded desperately with her to keep him behind bars.
'A 23-year-old son’s life is worth more than 10 months in jail,' his father pleaded.
'We are functioning but we hurt daily. We will hurt daily for the rest of our lives.
'Please don’t increase our pain by letting him out,' his father, Gregory, pleaded with the judge.
His mother cried as she made her own plea.
Duncan's mother Brenda wept as she pleaded with a judge not to let her son's killer out after just 10 months. Scheid, who looked at the floor as she spoke, was sentenced to three years for involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal but he asked for early release in June
The pair were both 'extremely' drunk at the time of the fight, according to their roommates. It has never been made clear what exactly they were fighting about. Duncan was a business senior when he died
'It hurts every day to know that something this senseless took away one of my most valued treasures in life — my son Duncan,' she said.
The judge however granted the request on the basis that he has been well behaved in prison.
Afterwards, the victim's parents called for her to be stood down.
'What standard is that to say 'someone's dead now but [Scheid] is on his best behavior.
'We don't understand that logic of patting someone on the back for having murdered somebody because you're a role model prisoner,' Gregory Unternaher told WKYC.
On the night of the killing, the students' roommate called 911 to report it.
He said: 'My roommate just stabbed my other roommate. They're both extremely intoxicated.'
Unternaher lost consciousness in the bathroom of the apartment before EMTs arrived.
He was pronounced dead in the hospital two days later.
Prosecutors also pleaded with the judge not to let Scheid out early. They pointed to phone calls he had with his family while in prison where he spoke confidently about being released.
'Many of his conversations calls with family are about when he can get out of prison, how soon he can get out of prison.
'When asked by his father, just three days ago about if he thought about what he was going to say today, his response was a flippant, "Yeh, sure. I feel bad,"' said prosecutor Seema Misra.
The judge said she was 'put off' by the calls but that she decided to grant him early release anyway. His lawyer said he was committed to carrying on in society the way he had been living behind bars; taking courses and working.
- Kendal Scheid, 24, was released from prison on Tuesday after serving 10 months
- He stabbed Duncan Unternaher, 23, in a late night row over Arby's takeout food
- Unternaher died in hospital two days later and Scheid was charged
- In October last year, he was sentenced to three years for involuntary manslaughter
- The judge told him that she would consider early release if he behaved in prison
- He was let out on Tuesday after just 10 months behind bars
https://www.ohio.com/news/20181002/...son-release-in-stabbing-death-of-his-roommate
Kendal Scheid, 24, (left in court on Tuesday) was released from prison after serving 10 months for killing Duncan Unternahe, 23, (right) who he stabbed to death in a drunken, late night argument over Arby's takeout in December 2016
A college student who stabbed his roommate to death in a drunken fight over food was released from prison early on Tuesday after serving just 10 months behind bars.
Kendal Scheid, 24, was sentenced to three years imprisonment in 2017 for killing his friend, Duncan Unternaher, 23, after arguing with him about Arby's takeout in December 2016.
The pair, who were both students of The University of Akron, were at their off-campus apartment when Scheid stabbed him in the chest. Their other roommate called 911.
In October last year, Scheid pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years behind bars.
He was told by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Rowlands at the time that if he behaved in prison, she would let him out early.
On Tuesday, he was granted early release by the same judge despite Unternhaer's parents' protests.
Before she made her ruling, Unternaher's parents pleaded desperately with her to keep him behind bars.
'A 23-year-old son’s life is worth more than 10 months in jail,' his father pleaded.
'We are functioning but we hurt daily. We will hurt daily for the rest of our lives.
'Please don’t increase our pain by letting him out,' his father, Gregory, pleaded with the judge.
His mother cried as she made her own plea.
Duncan's mother Brenda wept as she pleaded with a judge not to let her son's killer out after just 10 months. Scheid, who looked at the floor as she spoke, was sentenced to three years for involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal but he asked for early release in June
The pair were both 'extremely' drunk at the time of the fight, according to their roommates. It has never been made clear what exactly they were fighting about. Duncan was a business senior when he died
'It hurts every day to know that something this senseless took away one of my most valued treasures in life — my son Duncan,' she said.
The judge however granted the request on the basis that he has been well behaved in prison.
Afterwards, the victim's parents called for her to be stood down.
'What standard is that to say 'someone's dead now but [Scheid] is on his best behavior.
'We don't understand that logic of patting someone on the back for having murdered somebody because you're a role model prisoner,' Gregory Unternaher told WKYC.
On the night of the killing, the students' roommate called 911 to report it.
He said: 'My roommate just stabbed my other roommate. They're both extremely intoxicated.'
Unternaher lost consciousness in the bathroom of the apartment before EMTs arrived.
He was pronounced dead in the hospital two days later.
Prosecutors also pleaded with the judge not to let Scheid out early. They pointed to phone calls he had with his family while in prison where he spoke confidently about being released.
'Many of his conversations calls with family are about when he can get out of prison, how soon he can get out of prison.
'When asked by his father, just three days ago about if he thought about what he was going to say today, his response was a flippant, "Yeh, sure. I feel bad,"' said prosecutor Seema Misra.
The judge said she was 'put off' by the calls but that she decided to grant him early release anyway. His lawyer said he was committed to carrying on in society the way he had been living behind bars; taking courses and working.
!!!
