A man convicted of killing a Columbus City Schools teacher and mother of two has been sentenced to life in prison.
Jason A.F. Palmer, 38, was found guilty Sept. 17 by a Franklin County jury on two counts of murder, strangulation, and domestic violence in the 2025 death of 46-year-old Rachel Prince.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Andria Noble sentenced Palmer on Sept. 29 to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
On July 13, 2025, Columbus police responded at 1:21 p.m. to the 5000 block of Cobblestone Drive on a call regarding an unresponsive woman. On entering the apartment, officers found Prince dead on the bedroom floor. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide investigators learned that Palmer strangled Prince,
then moved her body to the bedroom and left her on the floor.
“First and foremost, I extend my deepest condolences to Rachel Prince’s children and family members," Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor said in a Sept. 29 news release announcing the sentencing. "I pray that the accountability that was delivered today provides the Prince family some closure.
“Domestic violence is a crisis in Columbus and across Franklin County, and stories like Ms. Prince’s have become far too common. To victims and survivors of domestic violence, the Victim Witness Advocates in my office are ready to help, whether or not you choose to press charges.”
This story first published on July 14, 2025.
Columbus police arrest and charge man with death of woman at their NW Side home
A 38-year-old man sought by Columbus police in connection with the death of his girlfriend at their Northwest Side home is now in custody and has been charged with murder.
Jason A.F. Palmer had initially been identified by police as a "person of interest" in the death of 46-year-old Rachel Prince, according to a July 14 news release.
On July 15, police announced they had arrested Palmer at 12:30 p.m. and charged him with murder in Prince's death. He is in custody at the Franklin County jail.
Police said they responded to an "unknown complaint" at 1:21 p.m. on July 13 in the 5000 block of Cobblestone Drive on the city's Northwest Side. On arrival, they found Prince unresponsive. Columbus Division of Fire medics arrived minutes later and pronounced Prince dead just before 1:30 p.m., police said.
On July 14, the Franklin County Coroner's office ruled Prince's death a homicide, police said, concluding that she died July 12 of strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head.
According to a criminal complaint filed by a city homicide detective, Prince and Palmer were living together and arrived at their apartment on the night of July 12. Witnesses said that at around 10:30 p.m., they could see Prince lying on the concrete walk outside of the apartment with Palmer on top of her. A short time later, Palmer allegedly picked her up and carried her into the apartment. Detectives said that Palmer left the apartment at around 7 a.m. the next day.
Palmer had previously been charged for threats, domestic violence, and strangulation against Price in November 2023, according to court records. It is unclear how that case concluded.
In September 2024, Palmer was arrested after Prince reported that Palmer had assaulted and attempted to suffocate her at their apartment on Cobblestone Drive. He was initially charged with strangulation and domestic violence. Last month, he pleaded guilty to domestic violence while the strangulation charge was dismissed.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Brown ordered Palmer to serve 194 days in jail, but he received credit for time already served and did not serve any further jail time for that conviction, according to court records.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man sentenced to life for strangulation death of CCS teacher
