Delaware Co. man sentenced to life in prison for November murder of girlfriend
DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) — A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a woman in her home in November of 2019.
Brandon Ivy was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of aggravated murder in late July.
Ivy was found guilty of strangling his girlfriend, Stephanie Hunter, 53, inside her apartment on Nov. 22, 2019.
Shortly after 6 p.m. on Nov. 22, Ivy notified the Powell Police Department vaguely of an incident at his friend’s residence, according to police.
While Ivy was detained, deputies with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the residence and discovered Hunter’s body, police said.
“The manner in which the defendant chose to kill Stephanie was personal. It was heinous and it was vengeful,” Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Schiffel said in a statement announcing the sentencing. “Nothing we could ever do will bring Stephanie back. But this is a just outcome for the murderous actions of the defendant.”
In addition to the aggravated murder charges, the jury found Ivy guilty of murder, felonious assault, and menacing by stalking. He was also sentenced to 18 months in prison, to be served consecutively to the life sentence, on the menacing by stalking charge.
“Today we remembered Stephanie and told the Court about the bright light that she was in the world,” Schiffel said in the statement. “First and foremost, she was a daughter and a mother who had no enemy. She cared about helping everyone, even the defendant. But the defendant chose to kill Stephanie instead.”
According to police reports, Ivy had previously violated two restraining orders Hunter placed against him and was charged with kidnapping Hunter, who was punched in the face several times and had a knife held to her throat, according to court documents.
At the time of the killing, Ivy was out on three years of controlled release after being found guilty of two counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of violating a protection order.