Supreme Court declines to hear murder appeal

The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to hear John Rose’s second appeal of his murder conviction.

Rose was convicted in the murder of Paul Ruffo in 2021, and was sentenced to life in prison. Ruffo was murdered at his home in Saybrook Township in May of 2020.

Rose filed an appeal soon after being convicted, and his conviction was upheld by the 11th District Court of Appeals. The Ohio Supreme Court subsequently declined to hear the case.

In March of 2022, while his initial appeal was pending, Rose filed a motion seeking a new trial with the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas, according to court records. The motion was based on a trio of affidavits, including one from Rose himself, in which he claimed that a witness to the crime, who had since died, was the one who killed Ruffo.

Judge Thomas Harris, who presided over Rose’s trial, rejected the motion, stating in a judgement entry, “it is [Rose’s] argument that he either committed perjury at trial, or he plans to commit perjury at a new trial based upon this dubious affidavit.”

The 11th District Court of Appeals agreed with Harris’ assessment, and affirmed the denial of the motions.

Rose filed an appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court in late December, and on Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.

Rose sought to represent himself in his second set of appeals.

He is currently incarcerated at the Mansfield Correctional Institution, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.