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 .
In Stark County, officials are ramping up prevention efforts to try to combat the concerning numbers they鈥檙e seeing.
Domestic violence felony cases increased 67% in 2021 and haven鈥檛 receded, said Kimberly Stanley, victim witness director at the Stark County prosecutor鈥檚 office.
Homicide numbers are "staggering," she added.
鈥淚n 2025, just in the city of Canton alone, five of eight homicides were domestic violence-related,鈥� Stanley said. 鈥淪o, we see those numbers, and we know that we need to do better.鈥�
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鈥檚 current approach to domestic violence isn鈥檛 working, Stanley said.
鈥淓veryone kind of operates in silos,鈥� Stanley said. 鈥淚n each of those entities operating individually, it鈥檚 just not enough in our county to combat the issue of domestic violence.鈥�
Meanwhile, the violence is getting worse, said Shane Simek, a Stark County Sheriff鈥檚 Office deputy.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing the same amount of calls, but the calls are more intense,鈥� Simek said. 鈥淪trangulation, there鈥檚 a huge rise in that, and calls are more complicated. There鈥檚 a lot of additional charges 鈥� aggravated menacing, menacing by stalking.鈥�
Community partners working together on solutions
Stanley, Simek and other community partners have been working together to try to improve the county鈥檚 approach.
The prosecutor鈥檚 office recently invited Jim Schmidt, stepfather of Gabby Petito, to speak to the community and provide a training for first responders.
by her fianc茅 in 2021. Her disappearance and death ignited a national conversation about domestic abuse and dating violence.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that you never expected you鈥檙e going to go through,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淔or anybody who鈥檚 experienced what our daughter went through and their family did, whatever path they choose to channel their grief, that鈥檚 OK.鈥�
Schmidt and his family decided to turn their pain into purpose. He and his wife Nicole, Petito鈥檚 mom, travel the country giving trainings and speeches.
鈥淲e 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.鈥�
Schmidt received many invitations to speak in Ohio this year, he said.
鈥淲hen I started doing the research and building out the training, I started to understand very quickly why,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淭he rates of domestic violence and homicides have increased exponentially across the state, including here in Stark County.鈥�
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鈥檛 uncommon. She learned a lot from Schmidt鈥檚 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.
鈥淵ou can walk through one door, you can tell your story one time, and you can choose the services that you wish to engage with,鈥� Stanley said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 going to make so much of a difference.鈥�
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 鈥� 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 who attended Schmidt鈥檚 training, said the new justice center will also help children.
鈥淚 think sometimes kids are forgotten,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aybe the mom鈥檚 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.鈥�
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鈥檚 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 鈥淪TART鈥� 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.
