YOUNGSTOWN — A re-trial will be set for James Jarrell, who was convicted in 2018 for the stabbing death of his 55-year-old stepmother in the kitchen of her home on the West Side of Youngstown.

In August 2018, Jarrell, 40, was sentenced to 19 years after he was found guilty of murder, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property by a Mahoning County jury. He was found to be not guilty on charges of aggravated murder and robbery.

Back then, prosecutors alleged that Jarrell, who testified that he had a crack addiction, went to his stepmother’s house to ask for money for drugs.

“When she fought back, he killed her,” the assistant Mahoning County prosecutor said.

Jarrell’s defense attorney described his client as a confused young man and compared him to a stray dog who had been poked and jabbed one too many times.

Jarrell, who said he suffered childhood sexual abuse, testified that his stepmother began a sexual relationship with him shortly after she married his father when Jarrell was 16.

The night of her death, Jarrell’s stepmother became angry and disparaging when Jarrell declined a request by his stepmother for sex and to go with her to Florida, his defense attorney argued.

According to Jarrell, this led to his stepmother attempting to hit him with a glass globe and him stabbing her with a knife in a fit of rage. He testified he remembers stabbing her then coming to with the glass globe in his hand.

The case has since been sent back to the court of appeals to be retried with a date set initially for May 8, according to the office of Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge Anthony Donofrio, who initially handed down the sentencing.

Given that Jarrell was found not guilty of aggravated murder and robbery, he will not be retried on these charges when a new trial date is set.

cmcbride@tribtoday.com