An elderly retired professor, charged in the stabbing death of his wife, told detectives he was facing an unthinkable choice that drove him to kill. Authorities revealed the 76-year-old felt he had no option but to commit murder and then attemtp to take his own life to escape a sudden, secret scandal that threatened his entire existence.
James Hill, 76, was charged with aggravated murder in the death of 64-year-old Mary Kathleen Hill in Columbus, Ohio, according to WSYX. Hill told detectives that he attempted the murder-suicide after a woman he met on a dating app threatened to release racy photos of him unless he paid her $15,000.
Police say they were called to the couple’s home in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington on Nov. 9 after someone called 911 then hung up.
The caller only provided an address and requested police and paramedics, then ended the call.
When officers arrived, they found Mary Hill dead inside the home.
James Hill was also discovered at the scene with a stab wound in his chest. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was treated.
The 76-year-old told police that sometime before the deadly stabbing, he met a woman on a dating app and began exchanging nude photos with her.
Court records state that the day the murder took place, the woman messaged him, demanding $15,000 in Apple gift cards or she would release the photos he sent her.
Hill told detectives he “could only think of one way out of the situation,” and felt he had no choice but to kill himself and his wife.
He admitted to using a kitchen knife to carry out the murder. He said he couldn’t find a gun because he had hidden his weapons years ago.
Before the stabbing, he said he started rubbing his wife’s shoulders. When she commented that the massage felt good, he stabbed her in the chest. Hill said she looked at him, and he apologized and held her as she died.
During the attack, Hill also tried to stab his dog, but the pet ran away.
Before dialing 911, he deleted pictures and other documents from his computer, then stabbed himself in the chest, the arrest affidavit states.
It’s unclear how long Hill had began dating the womam before they both exchanged nude photos, but police warn that rapidly advancing relationships that begin online are warning signs.
Sgt. Joe Smith, who works with Internet Crimes Against Children, advised that victims should “Stop, block and report. Stop the conversation with the person you are interacting with. Block them immediately and then take any information you have about the person you are interacting with and take that to law enforcement.”
Hill is a retired professor who worked at Ohio State University.
One of his former students was shocked by the incident, saying that Hill was always a “level-headed” instructor.
“Everyone was shocked,” the student told WSYX. “Nobody could have seen this coming.”
Hill’s charges could result in a life sentence if he’s convicted.
