Woman Sentenced for Retaliatory Killing in Cleveland

CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced that Kelly Quarles, 34, was sentenced to a range of 23 to 27½ years in prison for killing the father of her niece’s children. Co-defendant Lamar Polk Jr., 25, was previously sentenced to a range of 22 to 27½ years in prison.

“These individuals took it upon themselves to act as judge, jury, and executioner,” said Prosecutor O’Malley. “Both families will now suffer as a result of these senseless actions.”

On July 21, 2019, Quarles and Polk were informed that the victim and Quarles’s niece had been involved in a domestic altercation. They then went looking for the victim to obtain her niece’s credit card and keys from him. Quarles and Polk pulled up alongside the victim as he was walking near East 61st Street and Bonna Avenue in Cleveland and began to argue with him. As the victim turned to flee, both Quarles and Polk fired several shots before driving away. Cleveland Division of Police (CDP), Cleveland Emergency Services, and Cleveland Fire responded to the scene. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

After an investigation conducted by CDP’s Homicide Unit, phone records and physical evidence connected Quarles and Polk to the scene.

Polk pleaded guilty to the following charges:

• One count of Voluntary Manslaughter
• One count of Discharge of a Firearm On Or Near Prohibited Premises
• One count of Improperly Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle
• One count of Having Weapons Under Disability

Quarles pleaded guilty to the following charges:

• One count of Involuntary Manslaughter
• One count of Discharge of a Firearm On Or Near Prohibited Premises
• Two counts of Improperly Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle
• One count of Tampering With Evidence

They were sentenced under “The Reagan Tokes Law,” which implements an indefinite sentencing system for non-life felonies of the first and second-degree in which the judge imposes both a minimum term (from the current sentencing range) and a maximum term (that includes an additional 50% of the minimum term imposed). The Ohio Department of Corrections will review the case and their behavior after they have served the minimum amount of years and will make a determination as to whether they should be released.