Ohio

Killer Dads: Fathers who ended their children's lives in situations involving child custody, visitation, and/or child support

OHIO

Columbiana County

Father: ULRICH ESTIMOT
Victim(s): Trey Estimot (11 years), Terrell Estimot (7 years), Trenton Estimot (5 years)
Date of Death: March 2012
Custodial dad killed sons in arson murder.

Cuyahoga County

Father: ANTHONY JOHNSON
Victim(s): Anthony Johnson Jr.
Date of Death: August 2009
Father accused of beating child to death during 1st overnight visitation to avoid child support. Convicted of murder in February 2010, and sentenced to 33 years to life.

Fairfield/Franklin/Licking Counties

Father: ALFRED A. HILL
Victim(s): Alfred Hill (4 years)
Date of Death: July 2012
Father wanted on "unrelated" rape and kidnapping charges a suspect in "suspicious" drowning of son. Father did not live with the mother, but had been "staying with various girlfriends." Custody arrangement were never clarified or how this father established access/possession. In October 2014, father entered Alford plea on the involuntary manslaughter charges, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Franklin/Delaware Counties

Father: DANIEL J. DOBSON
Victim(s): Nicole Dobson (15 years), Sarah Dobson (11 years)
Date of Death: December 2009
Father had physical placement of 15-year-old daughter. "Shared parenting" plan in place with divorced mother. Girls shot to death in murder-suicide.

Father: AVRAHAM LEVI
Victim(s): 14-year-old son, 10-year-old daughter
Date of Death: June 2014
Father had extensive history of domestic violence against the mother, including stays at a domestic violence shelter. Mother won primary custody, and the right to move from Israel to Columbus, Ohio. But father was able to win twice a year visits in Israel. Father has confessed to the murder of the children by blindfolding them and slitting their throats.

Hamilton County

*Father: CHRISTOPHER DANGERFIELD
Victim(s): Tyrese Short (3 years)
Date of Death: December 2010
Father charged with aggravated murder. Had been granted custody just 7 months before, though father had a lengthy criminal record including assault of a police officer. Convicted in April 2013.

Father: JAMES LYONS
Victim(s): Jaden Jenkins
Date of Death: September 2010
Father given custody after mother checked herself in for mental health treatment. Father charged with capital murder. Last update was October 2010, when father asked for and was granted a three-judge panel instead a jury trial. Father reportedly suffers from potentially fatal illness and may not make it to prison.

Highland County

Father: WESLEY COONROD
Victim(s): Steven Coonrod (3 years), Thomas Coonrod (4 years)
Date of Death: March 2010
Father with “full custody” charged with murder in arson deaths of two sons. News accounts mention history of domestic violence, alcoholism, “suspicious” fires at previous homes. In October 2010, Coonrod convicted on two counts of child endangering; jury deadlocked on murder, arson charges. In February 2011, convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Logan County

Father: ANTHONY BARTON
Victim(s): Michael G. Barton
Date of Death: May 2015
Despite history of domestic violence against the mother, father granted shared custody. For months before the boy's beating death, father had shut off the mother's access. Father charged with felony child abuse, but could face additional charges. After pleading guilty to murder, dad sentenced to life in prison in October 2015.

Lucas County

Father: SAMUEL OLIVER
Victim(s): Delayno Oliver (2 years)
Date of Death: June 2014
Non-custodial father charged with aggravated murder in death of son. Custodial mother lived in Illinois, boy had apparently been subjected to interstate visitation.

Medina County

Father: ERIC WARFEL
Victim(s): Ember Warfel (21 months)
Date of Death: June 2015
Father with sole custody charged after daughter's body found decomposing in crib.

Stark County

Father: JAMES MAMMONE III
Victim(s): Macy Mammone (5 years), James Mammone (3 years), Margaret Eakin (57 years)
Date of Death: June 2009
Divorced father convicted of stabbing children, beating to death former mother-in-law in January
2010.

Father: MATTHEW MIKU
Victim(s): Hailey Miku (3 years)
Date of Death: March 2016
Custodial dad, girlfriend charged in murder of 3-year-old daughter.