Retired Ohio State Professor Sentenced to Life After Killing Wife Over Alleged $15,000 Sextortion Scheme
Former Ohio State Professor Sentenced To Life For Killing Wife
Nov. 3 2026, Published 10:26 a.m. ET
Former Ohio State University music professor James S. Hill was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing his wife, Mary Hill, at their Upper Arlington home in November 2025.
Hill, 77, pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to murder and a charge related to harming a companion animal.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. The animal-related sentence will run concurrently.
Wife Was Killed at Upper Arlington Home
Hill can seek parole after serving 15 years, when he would be about 92.
Upper Arlington police responded to a 911 hang-up call at the couple's home on the 1500 block of Fishinger Road at about 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2025. Officers found Mary, 64, dead from a stab wound to the chest. Hill was also injured and was taken to a hospital.
According to court records, Hill told investigators he approached his wife while she was working in the home office and began rubbing her shoulders.
He then stabbed her once in the chest with a kitchen knife, apologized, and held her after the attack, according to records cited in reports.
Hill also told police he attempted to stab the couple's dog. The animal escaped and survived.
Prosecutors originally charged Hill with aggravated premeditated murder. That charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Hill Cited Alleged $15,000 Sextortion Scheme
Hill pleaded guilty to murder and cruelty to a companion animal on Oct. 28, 2026.
Hill told police he had met a woman through an online dating site and exchanged nude photographs with her. According to court records, he said she later demanded $15,000 in Apple gift cards and threatened to release the images if he did not pay.
The alleged extortion was Hill's account of what led to the killing and has not been established as a criminal case against the unidentified woman. Hill told investigators he believed he had no other way out and decided to kill his wife and himself.
He first searched for a firearm but said he could not find one. He then took a knife from the kitchen, according to court records.
He Called 911 After the Attack
Police found Mary Hill dead from a stab wound on Nov. 9, 2025.
After killing his wife, Hill deleted photographs and documents from his computer, according to records. He then contacted 911 and requested police and an ambulance.
Hill also stabbed himself in the chest but survived. Officers found him inside the home with a knife and transported him to a hospital for treatment.
The case was investigated by the Upper Arlington Police Division with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Parole Eligibility Comes After 15 Years
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Hill told investigators an online contact threatened to expose nude photos unless he paid $15,000.
Hill will first be eligible for parole after serving 15 years. Reports on the case have put his age at parole eligibility at about 91 or 92, depending on the calculation used. Parole eligibility does not guarantee release.
Hill worked at Ohio State for decades. A university spokesperson said he was first hired in 1972 and was employed by the university from 1978 through 2015.
The sentence follows Hill's guilty plea in the killing of his wife and the companion-animal offense. The alleged sextortion scheme was presented as Hill's explanation to investigators for why he committed the crime.
