Background: Jason Palmer (WSYX) Inset: Rachel Prince (GoFundMe)
A man murdered his girlfriend – a beloved teacher and mother to two young children – in a chilling case of domestic violence, authorities in Ohio allege.
Jason Palmer, 37, has been charged with murder, according to Franklin County court records. His bond has been set at $10 million.
Rachel Prince, 46, was found dead in her Columbus, Ohio, home on Sunday, July 13, at about 1:20 p.m. when Columbus police officers arrived at the 5000 block of Cobblestone Drive in response to an “unknown complaint.” It was at the residence they discovered an unresponsive person later identified as Prince. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Palmer was arrested, interviewed, and charged with murder two days later.The night before Prince”s body was found appeared to provide the evidence needed for his arrest.
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Investigators were able to determine Palmer and Prince were outside their apartment on Saturday, July 12, at about 10:30 p.m. According to charging documents reviewed by ABC affiliate WSYX, Prince was lying on the concrete walkway with Palmer standing over her. He then allegedly “carried/dragged” her inside.
Investigators also reportedly noted no one else entered or exited the apartment until the suspect left the next morning at 7 a.m. Prince’s cause of death was strangulation, and she suffered blunt force trauma to her head and arms.
A search of Palmer’s name in past Franklin County court records reveals a history of other violent crimes. In November 2023, he was charged with domestic violence – knowingly causing physical harm. The charge was dismissed but he pleaded guilty to aggravated menacing.
The domestic violence charge arose after Palmer allegedly threatened to kill everyone in Prince’s house, causing the mother and her two children to huddle behind a bed, according to additional documents obtained by WSYX. Police are said to have also observed red marks around Prince’s entire neck.
In September of last year, another charge was filed against Palmer, this time for strangulation – substantial risk of serious physical harm. The charge was also ultimately dismissed – reportedly because he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail but released for time served for that crime.
Loved ones of Prince and domestic violence prevention advocates see her case as a sign that the system needs fixing.
“I was in an emergency room with Rachel in December,” Jennifer Belemu, Prince’s sister-in-law, told WSYX. “I was in court. I wrote letters to the judge. I did everything. We have to change the system.”
She said Prince’s death wouldn’t have happened if Palmer wasn’t released from jail.
“This could have been prevented had they kept him in jail in February instead of letting him out,” Belemu said. “We wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”
Prince’s ex-husband and father to her children of ages 9 and 11 – Robert Prince – remembered her as an influential mother, and he lamented the fact that they have to now grow up without her.
“Everybody acts like it’s moral, and then it works, and everybody turns their head when it doesn’t,” Robert Prince said, ostensibly about the court system. “Now it’s affected my children like this.”
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein reacted to Rachel Prince’s death by writing on social media: “Domestic violence survivors should know where to access support before it’s too late.”
A GoFundMe set up for Rachel Prince said she had been an art teacher for at least ten years. She was “the embodiment of kindness and compassion,” and will be remembered for her “dedication to spreading love and warmth through art.”
Palmer has a preliminary hearing in court set for Friday, July 25.
