'We're both going to die': Man beat his ex-wife with a wooden baseball bat while she was lying in bed, put a rope around her neck, and then set the house on fire

An Ohio antheral volition walk respective decades down bars for trying to termination his ex-wife successful an onslaught that began with a shot bat past summer.

In precocious March, Frederick L. Harroff, 66, pleaded blameworthy to counts of attempted murder, aggravated arson, felonious assault, kidnapping and strangulation implicit the brutal June 2025 attack.

On Friday, the suspect was sentenced to a minimum of 39 years successful situation by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam – allowing for perchance 44 1/2 years successful situation should situation officials deem specified further clip necessary.

Also connected Friday, the unfortunate testified however her ex-husband utilized much than a shot bat to effort and termination her, according to a courtroom study by The Review, a regular paper based successful East Liverpool, Ohio.

The pistillate told the tribunal however Harroff enactment a enactment astir her neck, tried to strangle her with his hands, tried to hogtie her, and yet acceptable her location connected occurrence arsenic helium promised that decease was coming.

"An full hour, I fought for my life," she said.

Ultimately, the woman's communicative was moving – prompting the justice to contented a condemnation acold successful excess of what the authorities recommended. Prosecutors had asked for a condemnation of 20 to 25 1/2 years.

"His behaviour was genuinely vicious and horrific," Washam said.

On June 2, 2025, conscionable aft 10 p.m., the onslaught began erstwhile the pistillate was lying successful bed. Earlier, Harroff took respective pills, left, came back, issued a threat, and started beating her with a woody shot bat.

"I person thing to unrecorded for, you're not going to unrecorded either," the pistillate recalled the since-condemned antheral telling her arsenic the unit began. "I'm going to pain this spot down and we're some going to die."

Covered successful humor and bruises, however, the pistillate was capable to flight retired the backmost doorway and marque it to a neighbor's house.

Inside, constabulary recovered a crimson-soaked furniture with a bloody enactment strewn about. Meanwhile, the suspect fled the country of the crime. He was arrested – covered successful humor and pain marks – hiding successful the woods immoderate 100 yards distant from his trailer connected Columbiana-Lisbon Road.

"He is an evil, cruel, malicious monster," the pistillate testified during the sentencing hearing. "He has shown nary remorse."

The suspect offered contrition during an allocution.

"I ne'er wanted to spot her hurt," Harroff said. "I instrumentality work for everything that happened that night. I don't retrieve each that happened. I was not successful my close mind."

In assessing the lengthy sentence, the tribunal took enactment of the defendant's subject service, decades of dependable employment, intelligence wellness and termination attempts, and anterior deficiency of a transgression record.

"Unfortunately that changed dramatically connected June 2, 2025," Washam said.

The unfortunate besides testified that her airy changed that night. Her household besides testified during the sentencing hearing.

"He did not win," the woman's niece said, striking a affirmative note. "He did not interruption her and helium did not interruption us."