Parole Decision Mooted as Carl Dean Davis Dies in Prison; Family of Det. Sgt. Glenn Sturgill Notified
ASHLAND, Ohio — The decades-long legal chapter surrounding Carl Dean Davis, an accomplice in the 1982 killing of Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Glenn Sturgill, has come to a close following Davis’ death while incarcerated.
In October 2025, the Sturgill family was formally notified that Davis had appeared before a five-member panel of the nine-member Ohio Parole Board for consideration of release. The panel voted to grant parole, with a release date set for December 22, 2025, subject to conditions.
Following that decision, the Sturgill family exercised their right to request a full Ohio Parole Board hearing for reconsideration.
On October 21, 2025, family members, along with Ashland County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher R. Tunnell and a representative from the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, attended the full board hearing to oppose Davis’ release.
After deliberation, the full parole board upheld the original decision, allowing the parole grant to stand.
However, on November 25, 2025, Rebecca Sturgill, widow of Detective Sgt. Glenn Sturgill, was notified that Carl Dean Davis had died while incarcerated of natural causes, rendering the parole decision moot.
A Case That Spanned More Than 40 Years
The notification marked the end of a painful and emotionally charged process for the Sturgill family, who had spent decades advocating to keep Davis behind bars for his role in the ambush killing of Sgt. Sturgill.
Detective Sgt. Glenn Sturgill was just 30 years old when he was shot and killed in the line of duty on August 2, 1982 — his birthday. He had served with the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office for six years and was conducting surveillance near the former Big Wheel store on Claremont Avenue when he encountered a robbery in progress.
Though Davis did not fire the fatal shot, court records established that he helped plan the robbery, assisted in sawing off the shotgun, procured deer slugs, and fled the scene, actions that prosecutors and the family long argued were essential to the crime that cost Sgt. Sturgill his life.
Davis was convicted in January 1983 of involuntary manslaughter and complicity to aggravated robbery, receiving a 14-to-50-year sentence, with additional time later added for an attempted prison escape.
Family’s Long Fight for Justice
As detailed in an April 9, 2025 ACP News report, the Sturgill family repeatedly spoke out against Davis’ release, emphasizing the permanent loss they endured and the absence of remorse they believed Davis had shown over the years.
Despite the parole board’s ultimate decision, Davis’ death closed the case without his release back into the community.
For the Sturgill family, the outcome brings a complicated mixture of finality and reflection — the end of parole hearings, petitions, and emotional testimony tied to one of Ashland County’s most devastating losses.
Honoring a Fallen Hero
More than four decades after his death, Detective Sgt. Glenn Sturgill’s legacy continues to live on through his family, the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, and a community that has never forgotten his sacrifice.
While the legal proceedings surrounding Carl Dean Davis have now ended, the memory of Sgt. Sturgill — a husband, father, and dedicated lawman who gave his life protecting others — remains firmly etched in Ashland County history.
The Sturgill family express gratitude to the public for their years of support, signing petitions, writing letters, and attending the Ashland County Memorial services.
