Ohio man sentenced to life for the strangulation death of art teacher girlfriend who ‘loved unconditionally’
10/02/2026 9:35 am PDT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (TCN) -- A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years in connection with the strangulation death of his girlfriend last year.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, officers were dispatched to a home on July 13, 2025, and discovered Rachel Prince, 46, deceased. According to WSYX, Prince lived with her boyfriend, Jason Palmer, at the time of her death. She had initially been found by Palmer’s mother and sister, who forced their way into the apartment through a window before calling the police.
Two days later, Jason Palmer was detained and charged with murder following an interview, according to police. A judge set his bond at $10 million, according to WSYX.
An autopsy found Prince had been strangled and then moved to another room, where she was found on the floor, per WSYX.
Palmer was found guilty of two counts of murder, strangulation, and domestic violence on Sept. 17 and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years on Sept. 30, according to WSYX.
Palmer pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence against Prince in 2025, according to WSYX. In September 2024, he reportedly kicked, suffocated, and assaulted her, leading her to be sent to the hospital. In addition, he was also allegedly connected with a domestic violence incident against Prince in 2023.
Prince was an art teacher and a mother of two children, ages 9 and 11 at the time of her death, according to WSYX. According to one of her students, “She used to give us good advice; she wanted us to be better. She was just a teacher that loved unconditionally.”
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