Ohio Man Who Killed Jack Cleveland Casino Patron at Traffic Lights Sentenced to Life

An Ohio man has been sentenced to serve his current age in prison, and he will most likely spend the next 29 years behind bars before he can seek a parole hearing. 

Tyrell Chandler was sentenced after he was found guilty of killing a JACK Cleveland Casino patron, one Clarence Houston, on March 7, 2025. Houston succumbed to gunshot wounds at a traffic light. 

Man Sentenced to Life After Tracking Down and Killing a Casino Patron

Chandler tracked down his victim in his own vehicle for about 20 miles before opening fire at the traffic light and killing Houston, and then escaping. Eyeball witnesses were present, however, and they were able to later identify Chandler, as confirmed by Deputy Chief Rick Suts of the Bedford Police Department. 

“We had a person walking on the sidewalk who saw everything and another person riding by on a bike,” the police officer said. 

As to the judge, David Matia, he described Chandler’s actions as an execution and was appalled at the cold-bloodedness of the act, described as “execution.” 

“You drove by, you fired into the car, and you killed someone who was doing nothing but just waiting in traffic,” the judge added. The two men may have had some prior connection.

Perpetrator Argues Self-Defense, Court Doesn’t Agree

Chandler told reporters and his judge that Houston had been previously hostile towards him and his family, and that he “had no choice.” Christopher Maher, the defender’s lawyer, argued that the court refused to admit the evidence of Houston threatening Chandler and his family. 

“The true story of our case makes the plot of Cape Fear look mild in comparison,” he concluded. Yet, the court has described the killing as senseless, and Chandler would serve the time now.