Former Portage County Sheriff Says Tyrone Noling is Innocent and Should Be Pardoned, Citing ‘Egregious’ Official Misconduct

Former Portage County Sheriff Says Tyrone Noling is Innocent and Should Be Pardoned, Citing ‘Egregious’ Official Misconduct

In a September 17, 2026 op-ed, P. Ken Howe — who served as sher­iff of Portage County, Ohio from 1989 to 1993 and was present at the crime scene — called on Governor Mike DeWine to grant a full par­don to Tyrone Noling, who has spent three decades on death row after being con­vict­ed of the 1990 mur­ders of Cora and Bernhardt Harting. Mr. Noling has always main­tained his inno­cence. Mr. Howe’s pub­lic request fol­lows an August 25 deci­sion fro…