AKRON, Ohio — An Akron man has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal shooting of his landlord, Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh announced on Monday.
Last week, a jury found 23-year-old Eric Pursley guilty on two counts of murder with a gun specification and two counts of felonious assault for the killing of 59-year-old Daniel Stein. Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Joy Oldfield issued his sentence, in which he will be eligible for parole after serving 18 years -- the only sentence permitted under Ohio law.
“Daniel Stein was a beloved father, grandfather, husband, brother, and friend. We all grieve at the loss of a man who gave so much to our community,” Prosecutor Walsh said in a statement. “Eric Pursley deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison for taking Daniel Stein’s life.”
Pursley's case goes back to Oct. 5, 2022, when he is alleged to have fatally shot Stein at Pursley's home on Sumner Streer, not far from the University of Akron campus. At the time, police said there had been "an apparent altercation" between the two, the details of which became public in the ensuing months.
According to prosecutors, Stein owned a number of rental properties in the Akron area, including the location Pursley was living in. At the time of the murder, Pursley was several months behind on rent payments, and Stein had come from his native California to address the matter. Once he did, Pursley allegedly shot him in the head, killing him.