Convicted of Rape and Murder

An Ohio judge has sentenced a deaf Ohio man to 55 years to life in prison for the rape and murder of a Akron woman. It's believed to be the first time a deaf person has been convicted of such a serious crime in Summit County. A jury convicted Jerron Johnson of the crime against his neighbor, Jean Zienka at her home in 2001 and trying to rape another woman a few days later, though she managed to escape. Johnson raped another woman in 2002. The trial was delayed for several years so that Johnson could learn sign language. He became deaf as an infant for an untreated ear infection and his mother is serving time in prison.