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

from Maria Spiller

21 September 2024

Terreionna Paschal pleaded guilty to the murder of Todd Morgan.

A 32-year-old woman named Terreionna Paschal was sentenced after pleading guilty to killing Cleveland State University professor Todd Morgan in his Hudson home in 2023. During the Sept. 19 hearing in Akron, Ohio, 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. The judge said: “There is nothing the court can do to make things better, to make things right, to make things easier in any way. I would say that avoiding a trial is beneficial for everyone because it is 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.”

“And that is why I am grateful to Miss Paschal for taking responsibility for this and ensuring that the family does not have to go through any additional trauma as a result of the events of April 2023.”

Paschal added: “To his [Morgan’s] Family, I am very sorry and I hope that one day you will find the strength in your heart to forgive me.”

On April 19, 2023, university professor Todd Morgan was found dead in his home following a welfare check by authorities. Reporting officers stated that Morgan had multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper torso.

Computer records showed that 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, Paschal searched online for Morgan's profile and pictures of his home, according to records. Fox 8 reported.

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

At the time, it was determined to be an isolated incident, and Paschal was arrested shortly thereafter in connection with the murder. A Summit County grand jury indicted her 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 theft.

At the sentencing, several of Morgan's family members took the stand to give their victim impact statements, including his mother, who gave a statement lasting over 10 minutes. 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 loved touching others through his work in education, his mother said.

“I would like to say I hope you burn in hell, but I can't because I'm a Christian,” she once explained. “I serve a God of love and a God of justice. I know that is not God's will for anyone – not even you. What He wants is for you to sincerely repent of this evil act you have committed. I sincerely hope that you find true forgiveness, and only Jesus grants it to us when we ask for it,” Morgan's mother said, addressing Paschal directly.

She concluded, “That is the only way you will ever be truly 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. I'm sure his children would love to hear it when they grow up one day. And his family would love to know. May God help you, Miss Paschal. I hope that in all the dark moments you will sit through, you will find and seek him.”