James Hill was sentenced to life in prison, with parole eligibility after 15 years, for fatally stabbing his wife at their Upper Arlington home.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young sentenced Hill to life in prison with no option for parole for at least 15 years, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Hill pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to murder and a charge related to harming a companion animal.
The charges stem from the Nov. 9, 2025, stabbing death of Mary Hill, 64, inside the couple's home in the 1500 block of Fishinger Road. Hill also stabbed himself but survived.
Upper Arlington police responded to a 911 call at 2:30 p.m. that day, according to court records cited by the Dispatch's earlier coverage. Officers found James Hill on the couch with a stab wound to his chest and a knife in his lap. Paramedics took him to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. Mary Hill was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:46 p.m.
Hill told police he had been extorted by a woman he met through a dating app, according to court records. The woman demanded $15,000 and threatened to release nude photos of Hill if he did not pay, court records state. Hill told investigators he could not think of another way out of the situation except to kill his wife and himself.
Court records say Hill grabbed a kitchen knife because he could not find guns he had hidden years earlier. He went into the den where his wife was working at her computer, stood behind her and began rubbing her shoulders before stabbing her once in the chest, according to 10TV.
Hill also tried to stab the couple's dog, which ran away. He then deleted photos and documents from his computer before calling 911 and stabbing himself, court records state.
Hill had initially faced an aggravated murder charge and pleaded not guilty to all counts, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office. The guilty plea to murder and the animal charge resolved the case.
Hill will be 91 before he is first eligible for parole, according to the Dispatch.
