An Ohio man has been sentenced to life in prison after stabbing his ex-girlfriend 30 times and then slitting her throat to “speed up the process.”
Chance Donohoe, 27, kept his face expressionless in court as the judge imposed the sentence for the brutal murder of Shannon Hiott, 29.
Hiott’s family read heartbreaking victim statements describing their incomprehensible loss.
“I could talk all day about her accomplishments, how smart, beautiful and thoughtful she was. What I can’t talk about is how devastating this has been for me and my family,” Hiott’s mother Jamie told the court.
Donohoe told detectives he killed Hiott out of jealousy because he believed she was having an affair with someone else.
Chance Donohoe has been sentenced to life in prison after stabbing his ex-girlfriend 30 times and then slitting her throat to ‘speed up the process’
“To Shannon’s family and friends, I am truly sorry,” Donohoe told the court. “I wish I could take it back. I hope the verdict today does justice.”
Hiott’s sister Lana Hiott pleaded with the judge to prosecute Donohoe within the limits of the law and deny him the chance for parole.
Donohoe was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole until he serves 31 years.
He admitted that on August 29 of last year, he broke into Hiott’s Columbus home and stabbed her multiple times.
The killer fled to his mother’s house, called police to confess, and turned himself in at a Sheetz gas station.
He pleaded guilty to murder and abuse of a corpse.
Donohoe, 27, kept his face expressionless in court as the judge handed down his sentence for the brutal murder of Shannon Hiott, 29.
Donohoe told detectives he killed Hiott out of jealousy after he believed she had become involved with someone else.
His defense attempted to impose a more lenient sentence by arguing that Donohoe was under the influence of a mix of drugs and alcohol, including marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine, at the time of the murder.
Donohoe is said to have lost his patience after reading messages from Hiott in which she described how much happier she was after their split.
Lana Hiott says her sister ended the relationship after discovering Donohue was stealing from her.
He was hanging around her house when he saw another vehicle parked in front of her door, which made him even angrier.
He then drove 20 miles to his home in Powell, where he dressed in all black and grabbed a knife before driving back to carry out the horrific attack.
Hiott’s mother Jamie Hiott told the court of the deep devastation her family has suffered since her daughter’s murder on August 29, 2023
The victim’s sister, Lana Hiott, pleaded with the judge to prosecute Donohoe to the full extent of the law
Hiott’s sister said she ended the relationship after she accused Donohoe of robbing her
According to Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Dan Lenert, Donohoe bolted Hiott’s front door shut after the depraved attack.
“I can only imagine what was going through Shannon’s mind when he broke down her door and started stabbing her,” said Lenert, the Columbus Shipping defeated.
He told police he had cut her throat to speed up the process.
“This wasn’t drugs, this wasn’t ketamine, this wasn’t methamphetamine, this wasn’t cocaine, this was someone who was angry.
“He’s pissed off about the messages being posted about him on social media. He’s upset about their breakup and he goes to her house that night and sees a vehicle belonging to another man he knows.”