Donna Roberts, from Youngstown, Ohio, was convicted in connection with the 2001 shooting of her former husband Robert Fingerhut. She was given the death sentence and is currently the only woman to be on death row in Ohio. Her partner Nathaniel "Nate" Jackson, an ex-convict, was also sentenced to death.
Fingerhut was found shot to death inside the Howland home he shared with Roberts. The two were divorced at the time but shared a house and their businesses. The latter was reportedly dating Jackson, who was only released from prison two days before the killing.
Reports state that both Donna Roberts and Nate Jackson are currently on death row given that all executions in Ohio are currently on hold. Roberts is being held at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville while Jackson is at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution in Ross County.
ID's Calls From the Inside chronicles Robert Fingerhut's decades-old case and the two convictions that followed in an episode titled Death by Prima Donna. The synopsis states:
"In December 2001, the brutal murder of Robert Fingerhut, the respected owner of two bus stations, spurs an investigation that reveals a sordid relationship of lust, lies and murder; jail calls hold the killer's secrets."Death by Prima Donna airs this Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 9.00 pm ET.
Donna Roberts' former husband Robert Fingerhut died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head
Donna Roberts was found guilty of planning the murder to claim thousands of dollars of insurance money. She allegedly plotted to kill Robert Fingerhut with her boyfriend Nate Jackson, who was serving time in prison on unrelated charges at the time. Jackson, who was released just two days before the killing, executed the plan and shot Fingerhut at the former couple's Howland home.
Authorities believe Donna bought a mask and gloves for Jackson and let him into the house, after which he shot the victim. Fingerhut died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Prior to the murder, Donna had been staying at a motel for about a week and had only returned to the house on the night of the crime to call 911 and report the incident. Fingerhut’s body was found in the kitchen.
Detectives later discovered letters that the couple had written to each other while Jackson was in prison, among other evidence, which implicated the duo in the crime. Roberts was found guilty of complicity in aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, and aggravated robbery, while Jackson was convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and aggravated burglary.
Donna Roberts and Jackson's executions are currently on hold
Both Nate Jackson and Donna Roberts were given the death penalty. As mentioned earlier, Jackson is serving time at the Chillicothe Correctional Institute on death row, while Roberts, the only woman to be on death row, is being held at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. She appealed her sentence unsuccessfully multiple times.
Moreover, in 2020, Roberts was granted a stay of execution, which means her execution will be placed on hold until all state post-conviction proceedings, including any appeals, are exhausted. Meanwhile, in March 2021, a judge determined that Nate should be resentenced.
Both their executions are currently on hold after Governor Mike DeWine imposed a moratorium on all executions in Ohio. This came after the controversy surrounding lethal injections and the state's inability to locate a suitable and effective alternative.
The all-new episode of Calls From the Inside airs this Tuesday on ID.
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