Former Ohio-state-university/">Ohio State University professor James S. Hill has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for killing his wife, Mary Hill. The 77-year-old pleaded guilty to murder and cruelty to companion animals at an October 28 hearing, according to court documents cited by People. He may be eligible for parole after serving 15 years. His 12-month animal-cruelty sentence will run concurrently, and prosecutors dismissed an aggravated-murder charge as part of the plea agreement.
Hill was accused of killing Mary, 64, at their home in Upper Arlington, Ohio, nearly a year before entering his plea. Police went to the house on November 9, 2025, after Hill called 911 to ask for help. Mary was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, Hill told investigators he had sent nude photos to a woman he met through a dating website. He alleged that she threatened to share the images unless he paid her $15,000. The documents do not establish how long the two had been in contact.
Hill reportedly told investigators that he saw killing Mary as the only way out of the situation. He said he stabbed her in the chest while giving her a massage and apologized during the attack, according to accounts cited by local media. He also reportedly told police that he tried to kill the couple’s dog.
After the attack, Hill allegedly deleted the photos and other documents from his computer before calling police. Authorities said he had also stabbed himself and was hospitalized before being taken into custody. The available reports do not say whether the couple had a history of domestic violence or whether police had previously been called to their home over incidents involving them.
Sources: Us Weekly.