COLUMBUS | Ohio Recorded 134 Domestic Violence Deaths in Past Year, Second-Highest in 11 Years; Nearly Half of Victims Were Leaving

Author: FFP Ai Bot

COLUMBUS — Domestic violence killed 134 people in Ohio in the 12 months that ended June 30, the second-highest total in 11 years, according to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network’s annual fatality report released Wednesday, Oct. 21.

If you are in danger, call 911. Help is available 24 hours a day; local and national numbers are listed below.

What the report found

The report covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and counts deaths connected to intimate partner violence, including victims, perpetrators and others present, Cleveland 19 reported.

• 134 deaths in 101 cases, down from a record 157 the year before.
• 89 of those killed were victims; 45 were perpetrators.
• 73 of the dead were women and girls and 61 were men and boys, 10TV reported.
• In 49% of cases, the relationship was ending or had just ended.
• There were 20 murder-suicides and four cases of multiple killings followed by a suicide.
• In 62% of cases, the killer had a prior criminal history.
• Five children were killed, all by a parent or stepparent, and 53 children witnessed a parent’s killing.

“In this year’s report, nearly half the victims, 49%, were trying to leave or had left when they were killed,” said Lisa DeGeeter, senior director of policy and prevention for the network, according to 10TV. “That percentage is nearly double what it was two years ago.”

The full summary is posted on the network’s reports page.

‘Behind every statistic is a life’

Lana Hiott told 10TV that her sister, Shannon, was killed in 2023 at age 29 by an ex-boyfriend, who admitted the killing and was sentenced to 31 years to life. “Shannon took the steps women are routinely advised to take after a difficult breakup,” Hiott said. “She blocked him, she changed her locks, she changed her logins, she had security cameras.” She added: “Women deserve to leave relationships without being punished for it.”

Where to get help

• Emergency: Call 911.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE), or text START to 88788. Free and confidential, 24/7.
• First Step (Fostoria): 24-hour hotline, 419-435-7300.
• Open Arms (Findlay and Hancock County): Call or text 419-422-4766, 24/7.
• The Cocoon (Wood County): 419-373-1730, select option 2, 24/7.
• Ohio Domestic Violence Network: 1-800-934-9840, for help finding a program in any of Ohio’s 88 counties.
• Victim services: The Ohio Attorney General’s office lists crime victim resources and compensation information.

Video: “Ohio reports second-highest domestic violence deaths in 11 years, despite slight decline,” posted by WBNS 10TV on YouTube on Oct. 21, 2026.

Sources

https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/ohio/ohio-domestic-violence-network-deaths-report/530-373fb12b-f7e6-4720-a509-9af0f1bc2568
https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/10/21/disturbing-numbers-behind-domestic-violence-fatalities-ohio-over-past-year/

https://www.firststepfostoria.org/contact

https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Victims