Ohio Man Charged With Murder After Girlfriend Found Strangled
A man with a violent history has been charged with murder after allegedly strangling his girlfriend to death in Columbus, Ohio, in a case that has drawn renewed attention to systemic failures in addressing domestic violence.
Jason Palmer, 37, was arrested and charged with the murder of 46-year-old Rachel Prince, a beloved art teacher and mother of two young children. Franklin County court records show Palmer’s bond has been set at $10 million.
The incident unfolded on Sunday, July 13, when Columbus police responded to an “unknown complaint” on the 5000 block of Cobblestone Drive. Officers arrived at approximately 1:20 p.m. and found Prince unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to charging documents, surveillance footage from the night before provided crucial evidence. On Saturday, July 12, at around 10:30 p.m., Prince was seen lying on the concrete outside her apartment while Palmer stood over her. He then allegedly carried or dragged her inside.
Police noted that no one else entered or exited the apartment until Palmer left the following morning at 7 a.m. An autopsy later confirmed Prince died of strangulation and had suffered blunt force trauma to her head and arms.
Palmer was arrested and formally charged two days later. A look into his past reveals a troubling pattern of abuse. In November 2023, he was charged with domestic violence for allegedly threatening to kill everyone in Prince’s home. While that charge was dismissed, he pleaded guilty to aggravated menacing.
Court documents show that during that incident, Prince and her children—ages 9 and 11—hid behind a bed in fear. Police also noted visible red marks around Prince’s neck.
Just two months earlier, Palmer faced another charge for strangulation, categorized as creating a substantial risk of serious harm. That charge, too, was dismissed. He ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor domestic violence charge and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, though released with time served.
Prince’s family members, devastated by her death, say this tragedy could have been prevented if Palmer had remained incarcerated.
“I was in an emergency room with Rachel in December,” said her sister-in-law, Jennifer Belemu. “I wrote letters to the judge. I did everything. We have to change the system.”
Belemu believes Prince’s murder was entirely avoidable. “This could have been prevented had they kept him in jail in February instead of letting him out,” she said.
Robert Prince, Rachel’s ex-husband and father of her children, expressed his heartbreak. “Now it’s affected my children like this,” he said, criticizing a system that, in his words, “acts like it works until it doesn’t.”
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein took to social media to comment on the tragedy. “Domestic violence survivors should know where to access support before it’s too late,” he wrote.
Prince had been an art teacher for over a decade and was described as “the embodiment of kindness and compassion” in a GoFundMe set up by friends and family. The fundraiser highlights her passion for teaching and her impact on students through her dedication to spreading love and warmth through art.
Palmer’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 25. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Meanwhile, advocates for domestic violence prevention are calling for reform, citing this case as a tragic example of how repeated leniency can cost lives.
