By Janice Morse
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jason Sam Campbell sits in court Thursday after being found guilty. The Cincinnati Enquirer/GLENN HARTONG

HAMILTON - After convicting a 22-year-old Butler County man Thursday in a double homicide, a jury will reconvene next week to decide whether to recommend a death sentence.

The Common Pleas Court jury deliberated about four hours before finding Jason Sam Campbell guilty of killing Helen Riley, 55, and her husband, Donald, 44, in their Hamilton home. They were killed Feb. 23, 2003, after Campbell escaped from a low-security Warren County corrections center.

On Thursday, Campbell rarely looked up as Judge Michael J. Sage read "guilty" 14 times - 10 death-penalty specifications and four charges: aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated murder.

Both prosecutors and defense lawyers expected that verdict, because Campbell had made a detailed confession that was consistent with evidence.

But on Monday, prosecutors will try to persuade the jury to give Campbell the death penalty while his lawyers will argue for life imprisonment.

"We feel that, if there are compassionate people on the jury, after hearing his life history they would seriously consider sparing his life," defense lawyer Ron Morgan said.

Campbell was removed from his parents, was raped repeatedly, was placed in 27 different homes and has mental-health problems, said co-counsel Melynda Cook-Reich, adding, "He hears voices."

But Assistant Prosecutor Megan Shanahan said Campbell's background doesn't excuse his crimes. "These were two totally innocent people in the safety of their own bed, in their own home - at nighttime," she said.

Campbell stabbed and choked the victims, then went out, got drunk and returned to sleep in a room adjacent to their corpses, Shanahan said.

"He is only sorrowful now because he got caught," said Assistant Prosecutor Craig Hedric.

Hedric, who has served as both a defense lawyer and prosecutor, said, "There are certain cases that stay with you. This is one of them."

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com