Man accused of beating girlfriend to death with baseball bat held on $8 million bond

COLUMBUS, Ohio (TCN) -- A man is behind bars on $8 million bond after he allegedly beat his girlfriend to death with a baseball bat.

WBNS reports that on June 27, 41-year-old Michael Johnson called the police and told them his girlfriend, 45-year-old Tiffany Creech, was bleeding and possibly not breathing. When they arrived, they found Creech and a juvenile, who had been injured. Johnson was arrested at the scene. 

Creech was pronounced dead at the scene, WSYX reports, and court records state she died from being beaten with a baseball bat. According to witnesses, the juvenile — Creech’s daughter — went across the street to a bar and asked the patrons to dial 911. 

Court records obtained by WSYX state that Creech had accused Johnson of domestic violence in 2022. A family member spoke in court about the case, in which Johnson allegedly hit Creech in the head with a closed fist. They said, “The incident in 2022 is extremely relevant and terribly foreboding.”

WBNS reports that the couple got back together after that incident. Later that year, Johnson allegedly threatened her via text message. WSYX reports that the threatening text messages allegedly stated, “Imma beat you to death” and “Imma knock you out.”

The victim’s sister, Heather Creech, told WBNS, “She told me that they were back together and that he’s doing this, he’s done that. And I’m like, ‘Tiff, you just need to get out,’ and she says, ‘I love him,’ and I was like, ‘I don’t care. You need to get out before he does something else,’ and now look,” Heather said.

WBNS reports Johnson was charged with murder, and an $8 million bond was issued at his court hearing on June 29. 

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