WARREN — A prison inmate convicted of manslaughter in Warren has been behind bars for 27 years and is nearing his fourth parole board hearing.

The Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office is opposing the release of the now 46-year-old Maximillian Bell, 46, who is housed at the Richland Correctional Institution.

Bell will appear before the Ohio Parole Board in August. At age 17, he was sentenced to a 12- to 50-year prison term by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Andrew D. Logan in November 1996.

Prosecutor Dennis Watkins opposes Bell’s parole, stating, “(Bell) is 46 years old and remains dangerous to society. Under all criteria, in our opinion, he is a sociopath and will not obey laws and rules if released… this man is a societal risk to others. There is a fuse burning and common sense suggests there could be an explosion.”

Bell and a co-defendant, Tarik Allen, also 17 at the time of conviction, were indicted and had their case bound over to adult court. They were convicted in the Oct. 11, 1995, death of Mark Heltzel, the brother of then-Trumbull County Commissioner Paul Heltzel. The victim was found bleeding from the head at the corner of Pine Avenue and South Street SE in Warren. Police said he was beaten in the head with a BB gun and either leaped from or was pushed out of his moving Lincoln Continental. He died three days later at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

Allen said in an audiotaped statement that Heltzel was riding in the back seat of his own Lincoln Continental, driven by Bell, and actually stepped out of the moving vehicle when he saw a police cruiser nearby. In video statements released earlier, the youths said they asked for a ride from Heltzel, 34, at a Milton Street SE crack house.

Bell’s criminal history dates back to February 1991, when he was 12 years old. He initially pleaded true to charges of theft, truancy, and assault in the Juvenile Justice system.

Despite counseling efforts, Bell continued to commit offenses, accumulating another assault charge a year later. His escalating criminal behavior led to his commitment to Ohio’s Department of Youth Services after a 1994 charge of receiving stolen property.

After being released in March 1995, Bell was quickly re-arrested for charges of receiving stolen property, disorderly conduct and curfew violations. He pleaded true to the charges in September of that year and spent six days in Family Court detention, with the remainder of his sentence suspended in favor of community service.

In October 1995, while performing community service, Bell was arrested for aggravated murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. He was tried as an adult and pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 1996, leading to his current sentence.

The Prosecutor’s Office said the behavior of Bell has not improved since being incarcerated. The family of the victim, along with the prosecutor’s office, are requesting his incarceration be extended by 10 years,citing his high-risk score and unmodified behavior.

While incarcerated, Bell began pursuing a GED in 1999 but has yet to complete the program. He was recommended to take finance and “thinking for a change” programs in 2016, but as of July 2024, he remains on a waitlist.