Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers calls on the community to help in opposing parole for cop killers Wayne Reed and Russell Bell

Today, Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers called on the community to contact the Ohio Parole Board to oppose the release of inmates Wayne Reed and Russell Bell.

In 1979, Russell Bell and Wayne Reed were convicted on charges of Attempted Murder and Aggravated Murder for the killing of Cincinnati Police Officer Charles Burdsall and the shooting of 19-year-old David Mallon.

On the night of July 14, 1978, Reed and Bell planned to rob a convenience store at the corner of Dixmyth and McMicken Avenue. They were observed by an off-duty Cincinnati Police Officer casing the business in preparation for their robbery. The off-duty police officer alerted Cincinnati Police District 5, which placed an all-call broadcast for a possible armed robbery. Officer Burdsall, who was patrolling nearby, responded to the scene. On this evening, Officer Burdsall was accompanied by David Mallon, who was doing a citizen ride-along while contemplating a career in law enforcement.

Realizing they had been made, Bell and Reed fled the scene in their car. Officer Burdsall pursued, searching for the suspect vehicle. A short time later, at approximately 12:10 AM, Officer Burdsall initiated a traffic stop of the suspects in the 2900 block of West McMicken Avenue. As Officer Burdsall approached the suspects, Wayne Reed turned suddenly and produced a firearm, shooting Officer Burdsall in the face. Reed then approached Officer Burdsall and fired two additional shots into his back as he lay on the ground. Reed then turned his gun on David Mallon, who had exited the vehicle to assist Officer Burdsall. Reed fired additional shots that struck Mallon in the back. Reed and Bell then fled in their car, leaving both victims behind.

Officer Charles Burdsall was pronounced dead later that morning. He left behind a wife and three young children.

Bell and Reed were both tried and convicted of Aggravated Murder and Attempted Murder. Following trial, they were both sentenced to death. However, a later ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated Ohio’s death penalty statute and the sentences for both Bell and Reed were reduced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. At the time of the ruling, Ohio did not have the option to sentence criminal defendants to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Defendants Bell and Reed are currently eligible for parole with a next hearing date of May 30, 2024.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers commented, “All these years later, it is still chilling to read the facts of this case. These two men murdered Officer Charles Burdsall in cold blood, shooting him execution style and leaving him to die on the pavement as they drove off. The fact that they escaped execution for their crimes is shocking.

Officer Burdsall was a hero. He served his country bravely in the Vietnam War for multiple tours, earning a Purple Heart for being wounded in combat. When he returned home, he continued to serve the public as a member of the Cincinnati Police Department. His story is the greatest fear of all police officers and their family members; that they will not return home after a night of protecting our community. That fear is still all too real, as we have seen just this month with Officer Jacob Derbin being killed while responding to a domestic violence call in Euclid, Ohio.

We have a responsibility, as a community, to ensure that Russell Bell and Wayne Reed remain in prison for the rest of their lives. We owe that to the memory of Officer Burdsall. I am asking everyone to join me in opposing parole for both of these killers by going to our website: https://www.hcpros.org/pending-hearings, and submitting a letter to the Ohio Parole Board.”