Sheffield man who shot, killed wife gets life in prison without parole

ELYRIA — A Sheffield man who shot and killed his wife in their Preserve Lane home on June 7 was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole. The sentence was handed down after Ronald Diamond, 72, pleaded no contest to aggravated murder, murder and felonious assault in Lorain County Common Pleas Court on Friday. A no contest plea means Diamond does not admit his guilt, but does admit the truth of the allegations. By doing so, he also retains some rights to appeal. Judge Chris Cook accepted Diamond's plea, made a finding of guilty and immediately sentenced Diamond. The Lorain County Prosecutor's Office elected to have him sentenced on the most serious charge, aggravated murder, with prison terms on all the other charges to run concurrent to the life sentence. Diamond had been held in the Lorain County Jail on $1 million since the shooting that fatally injured his wife, Deborah Diamond, 73. Sheffield police said officers were called to the couple's home on Preserve Lane in The Preserve at French Creek luxury apartment community shortly before 1 a.m. June 7. Ronald Diamond met them at the door and said his wife had been shot. Police found Deborah Diamond in the master bedroom and attempted lifesaving efforts until Sheffield Fire Department personnel arrived and transported her to a hospital. Ronald Diamond was taken into custody, questioned at the police station and charged with attempted murder. The charges were upgraded to murder after Deborah Diamond later died of her wounds. A message seeking comment on the plea and sentencing was left for Ronald Diamond's attorney, John Toth. Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Tony Cillo, who handled the case for the prosecution, declined to comment. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him @daveobrienCT on Twitter.