Angel Ormston's friends, family fighting parole possibility for her killer Mark Sotka

Jun. 29—On the night of July 31, 1992, 17-year-old Mentor-on-the-Lake resident Angel Ormston disappeared after going to the mall.

For nearly five months, a nationwide search ensued. That ended when her body was found on Dec. 15, 1992, lying facedown in a Perry Township ditch. Two weeks later, her boyfriend, 19-year-old Chardon resident Mark Sotka, was arrested for the crime.

Sotka was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 30 years after he admitted killing Ormston by punching her in the face and stabbing her twice near her heart. However, Sotka became eligible for release after serving just 20 years under an old law that allowed inmates to have their first hearing after serving two-thirds of their minimum sentence.

In June 2013, Sotka — whose crime qualified for the death penalty — had his first hearing before the Ohio Parole Board. Ormston's family and friends fought to make sure he was not released from Grafton Correctional Institution.

Read The News-Herald's coverage of Angel Ormston's disappearance and Mark Sotka's trial

"The day Mark Sotka brutally murdered Angel, he forever changed our lives and the lives of everyone who knew our daughter," the victim's mother, Jacki Ormston, said in a 2013 email to The News-Herald.

Sotka was denied his release, but this July, after serving 30 years, he will again be eligible for parole.

And yet again, the friends and family of Angel Ormston are doing everything in their power to make sure he remains in prison.

Nikki Hamilton, on behalf of the Ormston family, released the following statement:

"This was a capital case. In order to avoid the death penalty, Mark J. Sotka confessed and plead guilty to the Aggravated Murder and Kidnapping of Angel Ormston. He confessed to what he did. He confessed to trying to cover his crime for six months. He confessed to going on with his life as if it had never happened. His crime was heinous. His behavior following the murder was atrocious. He has shown zero empathy or remorse for his crimes in 30 years. He had other options, he chose murder.

"We firmly believe that the Ohio Parole Board shouldn't grant parole to anyone that confesses to murder and pleads to a lesser sentence to save their own life. We are very concerned that if paroled he will return to the Lake County area and re-offend. He should not be granted parole and given the chance to take another life and hurt a family the way he did ours. That plea saved his life, the very thing he took away from our Angel.

"For us and the community, justice should mean life."

Hamilton is asking the community to sign the petition on Change.org (change.org/Justice4Angel). The family currently has collected 1,641 signatures. Those interested can also submit a letter to justice4angelormston@gmail.com that will be submitted to the parole board.

Chris Ormston, Angel's brother, had a simple message.

"I miss my sister every day," Ormston said.

Stacie Telban, childhood friend of Angel's, said 30 years in prison isn't enough to make up for intentionally taking a life.

"I will help Nikki fight Mark's parole because when he planned to take Angel's life he made a choice that should forfeit his chance at a regular life," Telban said.