Woman sentenced to 23 years to life in prison for murder of professor

A 32-year-old woman named Terreionna Paschal was sentenced after pleading guilty to murdering Cleveland State University professor Todd Morgan in his Hudson home in 2023. At the hearing in Akron, Ohio, on September 19, a judge sentenced Paschal to 23 years to life in prison.

The judge spoke directly to the victim's family who were present at the sentencing hearing before delivering his verdict. He said: “There's nothing the court can do to make it better, to make it okay, to make it easier. I would say avoiding a trial is beneficial for everyone because it's an extremely traumatic experience for everyone involved. There would be images and things that you would have to see and you would never be able to forget.”

“I therefore thank Ms Paschal for taking responsibility and ensuring that the family does not have to suffer any further trauma as a result of the actions that occurred in April 2023.”

Pascal added: “To his [Morgan’s] “My family, I am truly sorry and I hope that one day you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.”

On April 19, 2023, university professor Todd Morgan was found dead following a hygiene check conducted by authorities at his home. Officers reporting the incident said Morgan had multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Computer records showed Paschal was active on dating sites and apps, where she met Morgan. On April 18, 2023, the day before her ill-fated trip to Hudson, records show Paschal searched online for Morgan’s profile and images of her home, Fox 8 reported.

“They mutually agreed to meet, and he let her into the house, without any reason to suspect that anything would go wrong during their first in-person meeting,” Summit County District Attorney Elliot Kolkovich said.

It was determined to be an isolated incident at the time, and Paschal was arrested in connection with the murder shortly afterward. She was indicted by a Summit County grand jury on one count of aggravated murder with a firearm, three counts of murder, one count of tampering with evidence, one count of aggravated robbery, one count of petty theft, and one count of attempted robbery.

At the sentencing hearing, several members of Morgan's family testified to give victim impact statements, including his mother, who gave a more than 10-minute impact statement. Todd Morgan worked at Cleveland State University as an assistant professor in the Department of Management in the Monte Ahuja College of Business, and he enjoyed reaching out to others through his work in education, his mother said.

“I would like to say that I hope you burn in hell, but I can’t because I’m a Christian,” she said at one point. “I serve a loving God and a God of justice. I know that’s not God’s will for anyone — not even you. What he wants is for you to truly repent of this evil act that you’ve committed. I sincerely hope that you find true forgiveness, and only Jesus gives that when we ask him,” Morgan’s mother said, speaking directly to Paschal.

She concluded, “This is the only way you will truly be free. Todd deserves to know what really happened that day. If you ever find the courage to tell the truth, I would love to hear it from you. His children would love to hear it, I’m sure, someday when they’re adults. And his family would love to know. God help you, Miss Paschal. I hope that in all these dark moments that you sit in, you will find him and seek him out.”

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