Domestic violence-related homicides have been steadily increasing in Ohio over the past decade.
Last year, domestic violence deaths in the state spiked to 157, compared to 114 in the previous year, according to a report from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network.
In Stark County, officials are ramping up prevention efforts to try to combat the concerning numbers they’re seeing.
Domestic violence felony cases increased 67% in 2021 and haven’t receded, said Kimberly Stanley, victim witness director at the Stark County prosecutor’s office.
Homicide numbers are "staggering," she added.
“In 2025, just in the city of Canton alone, five of eight homicides were domestic violence-related,” Stanley said. “So, we see those numbers, and we know that we need to do better.”
Several cases have garnered widespread attention in recent years.
In 2024, 24-year-old Raychel Sheridan went missing for several days. Her body was later found in a trash can at a city park. Her boyfriend was charged in and convicted of her murder later that year.
Last summer, 26-year-old Ryan Godbey was reported missing. His remains were later found in a remote wooded area in the county. His boyfriend was charged with murder and later took his own life at the Stark County Jail.
The county’s current approach to domestic violence isn’t working, Stanley said.
“Everyone kind of operates in silos,” Stanley said. “In each of those entities operating individually, it’s just not enough in our county to combat the issue of domestic violence.”
Meanwhile, the violence is getting worse, said Shane Simek, a Stark County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
“We’re seeing the same amount of calls, but the calls are more intense,” Simek said. “Strangulation, there’s a huge rise in that, and calls are more complicated. There’s a lot of additional charges – aggravated menacing, menacing by stalking.”
Community partners working together on solutions
Stanley, Simek and other community partners have been working together to try to improve the county’s approach.
The prosecutor’s office recently invited Jim Schmidt, stepfather of Gabby Petito, to speak to the community and provide a training for first responders.
Petito went missing and was eventually found dead, killed by her fiancé in 2021. Her disappearance and death ignited a national conversation about domestic abuse and dating violence.
“It’s something that you never expected you’re going to go through,” Schmidt said. “For anybody who’s experienced what our daughter went through and their family did, whatever path they choose to channel their grief, that’s OK.”
Schmidt and his family decided to turn their pain into purpose. He and his wife Nicole, Petito’s mom, travel the country giving trainings and speeches.
“We realized the impact the story had and how it was helping other people, so we chose to start a foundation in her honor and to try to prevent what she went through from happening to others.”
Schmidt received many invitations to speak in Ohio this year, he said.
“When I started doing the research and building out the training, I started to understand very quickly why,” Schmidt said. “The rates of domestic violence and homicides have increased exponentially across the state, including here in Stark County.”
Attendees learned tips on how to better communicate with victims and what happens to the brain after experiencing abuse.
Julia Hogarth, a park ranger with the Stark County Park District, said domestic violence calls in the parks aren’t uncommon. She learned a lot from Schmidt’s presentation, she said.
"I really liked his suggestions on interviews with victims of domestic violence," Hogarth said. "Us pausing, they can talk a little bit longer, [and] really good questions to ask them."
Officials hope new justice center will make a difference
Another prevention strategy in Stark County is the new Willow Kaye Justice Center. It will be a place where survivors can meet with various resources and agencies in one centralized location, Stanley said.
“You can walk through one door, you can tell your story one time, and you can choose the services that you wish to engage with,” Stanley said. “I think that’s going to make so much of a difference.”
The comprehensive approach will help to decrease barriers survivors often face when trying to leave a domestic situation, she said. It can be overwhelming for survivors to make phone calls and travel long distances to access resources, all while processing trauma, she added.
Research shows family justice centers in other areas have helped significantly decrease domestic violence deaths – because survivors can get the tools they need to leave bad situations and learn how to get justice, Stanley said.
Mandy Frederick, a nurse with the Children's Network of Stark County Child Advocacy Center who attended Schmidt’s training, said the new justice center will also help children.
“I think sometimes kids are forgotten,” she said. “Maybe the mom’s the victim, and yeah, then yeah, there are kids in the home, but what are we doing to help those kiddos, too? So our justice center is only going to streamline the process.”
The center draws its name, in part, from a willow tree, a symbol of resilience, and also honors Kaye, a Stark County victim of domestic violence, Stanley added.
The center is currently operating within the prosecutor’s office, but it's also raising funds to eventually buy a building in downtown Canton to house the program, she said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline offers free, confidential support: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Text “START” to 88788.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can reach the national suicide and crisis lifeline by calling or texting 988.
