Jimmy Tench, convicted of murdering his mother, Mary Tench, and sentenced to Death Row in Ohio, recently appeared on Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks (Season 2, Episode 4: He Murdered My Mother). Now, Jimmy (or James Tench, as he's listed in the Ohio DOC) speaks to us from a telephone in his prison cell. During the interview, he goes into more depth about how he was portrayed on Evil Lives Here and mentions several topics which weren't discussed on the TV show, such as his negative experiences with his attorneys, what positive things he has gained from his time on Death Row, and what it was like growing up with what he says was an abusive, alcoholic father.

Even though there were 1,000 pieces of evidence used against him at the trial, including Mary Tench's blood on the shoes found in his bedroom, and a video of him buying duct tape just before the murder, Jimmy proclaims his innocence, and suggests that he knows who the real killer was. We ask him what he'd like to say to the killer; his answer may surprise you. He also discusses his childhood, his hobbies prior to his arrest, his relationship with his girlfriend at the time of the murder, and why he thinks his sister, Jennifer Swain, turned on him.

While he admits no involvement in the murder, there is one piece of the interview that our producers found chilling. When Big Steve asked Jimmy how he felt about the death penalty prior to his arrest, he replied, "if someone was convicted of what I did" (emphasis added) that he would be in favor of a death sentence for him. Was this just a slip of the tongue? Perhaps.

Jimmy Tench then challenges some misconceptions about what life is like on death row. For instance, who would have thought that a death row inmate gets 8 hours a day outside of his cell? Time to play basketball, softball, or walk to the chow hall? Who would have thought they would have their own TVs? The idea of someone "rotting away on death row" seems far from the truth (at least at Ross Correctional in Chillicothe, Ohio).

Finally, we speak with him about his involvement with pen pals and his profile on PenPals.Buzz. He shares his contact information and invites anyone, male or female, to write him. His full profile is posted at https://penpals.buzz/inmate/james-tench/

On the evening of July 17, 2024, Bianca, from the UK, was browsing inmate profiles on PenPals.Buzz and was attracted to Armon Irons, an American prisoner with tattooed hands. Minutes later, she sent him this email:

Good evening Armon, Sending you lots of love from across the pond. Loved your profile. Never done this before. I am a virgin! If you would like me to write to you I can. Anyhow, I will keep this short and sweet like me! Tally Ho Captain.

At the time, nobody would have guessed that those 47 words sent via a prison pen pal website would, less than eight months later, lead to one of the greatest love stories of all time. In this heartfelt episode, Big Steve speaks candidly with Bianca as she tells her story of strength, passion, love, and determination, all with a positive attitude and a great sense of humor...or shall we say, humour?

Hear about the letters, the emails, the phone calls, the proposal, the wedding, and even what her 14-year-old daughter thought of mommy falling in love with a prisoner. Picture Love During Lockup meets Love After Lockup meets 90 Day Fiancé, all in one exciting 45-minute episode. This is reality programming at its best!

The Prison Pen Pal Podcast explores all aspects of prison inmates and their pen pals. Thinking of writing a prisoner? Already have a loved one who is incarcerated? Curious about why someone would write a letter to an inmate? Or, maybe you just want to learn about an entirely new way of making friends. You'll hear from the host, Big Steve, as he helps to humanize inmates and demonstrates the value in writing a pen pal. This is true crime at its best. Enjoy our two-minute trailer describing this groundbreaking podcast.