Romell Broom passed away on December 28, 2020, while on Ohio’s death row. He died from what officials believe was COVID-19. He was 64 years old and had been waiting for his execution for over 30 years. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said his death was likely related to the virus, but they were still waiting for the final death certificate to confirm it.
Back in 1985, Broom was found guilty of kidnapping, raping, and killing a 14-year-old girl named Tryna Middleton in East Cleveland, as per Death Penalty Info. The crime happened on September 21, 1984, he grabbed her and forced her into his car while holding a knife. Her body was found just hours later. Police caught Broom three months after that when he tried to kidnap an 11-year-old girl named Melinda Grissom. Her mother stopped him, and people nearby wrote down his car’s license plate number.
