1978 Milford cannibal killer denied parole again

The man once called "Clermont County's version of Hannibal Lecter" after he killed his roommate and ate part of his brain nearly 40 years ago was recently denied parole for the fifth time.

David Allen Chapin shot his longtime friend Donald Liming in the eye in their apartment on Concord Drive in Milford during an argument over religion on Oct. 3, 1978. Chapin was a Baptist, while Liming had said he was a Catholic, a Buddhist and a pagan. Both were 23.

Chapin, 60, is serving life in prison at the Allen Correction Institution in Lima, Ohio, and has been denied parole five times, according to JoEllen Smith of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The Ohio Parole Board held a release consideration hearing, which was closed to the public, for Chapin on Feb. 1 but the panel could not reach a majority decision.

The case moved to the Central Office Board Review for consideration, which found Chapin "unsuitable for release," Smith said. He will be considered for parole again in December 2018.

"Obviously, we strongly oppose parole on him and always have," said Clermont County Prosecutor Vincent Faris.

Liming and Chapin were childhood friends, they grew up as next-door neighbors and moved in together as Chapin attended Raymond Walters College, now called UC Blue Ash College.

Their families were also close, Liming had seven brothers and one sister. Most of Liming's family has remained in the Milford area. Liming's relatives said they won't speak publicly out of fear over Chapin's possible release.

The day Chapin murdered Liming, he stuffed the body into the trunk of his Buick Skylark and drove to biology class where he asked the professor if he needed a corpse to dissect, according to Enquirer archives.

During the murder trial in Clermont County, Chapin pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He told a court ordered psychiatrist that he ate Liming's brain as part of a "mutual agreement" between the roommates.

The psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Hart Enzer, said Chapin had a "warm, personable smile" as he talked about the murder of his friend.

The gruesome murder has haunted Liming's family for nearly four decades. They write letters to the parole board to discourage his release each time his case is reviewed.

"He is not the type of person that we feel should ever be released again," Faris said.

To comment on whether Chapin should be released from prison, call the Ohio Parole Board at 614-752-1200, e-mail drc.victim.services@odrc.state.oh.us or write to: Ohio Parole Board, 770 West Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43222.