Halloween in Springfield ended in tragedy on Highland Avenue, and now the man at the center of that case will likely spend decades behind bars. A resident has been handed a life sentence for the fatal stabbing of 35-year-old Quintez Hubert inside Hubert's home, a killing investigators say they were able to tie to the suspect using witness accounts and home-camera footage.
Antonio Depriest, 27, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years, according to the Springfield News-Sun. Court records show several additional counts were dismissed under the plea agreement, and the judge ordered Depriest to be taken to the Ohio State Penitentiary in Orient. The filings also note that if he is ever granted parole, he will be required to register as a violent offender for 10 years.
Police were called to the 1500 block of Highland Avenue just before 6 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2025, and found Hubert lying on the living room floor with multiple stab wounds, emergency crews said. Depriest told officers he woke up on a couch inside the home to what he described as "an unwelcomed advance" and said he stabbed Hubert, according to WHIO. Hubert's girlfriend, who was asleep upstairs, was not injured. Investigators say Depriest then stuffed bloody clothing into the victim's backpack, took cellphones, and left the house.
A probable cause affidavit and witness statements place Depriest at the residence and describe Ring camera footage that shows him leaving the house around 4:49 a.m. wearing Hubert's jacket and carrying a backpack, according to the Springfield News-Sun. That combination of video, witness accounts, and physical evidence helped investigators link him to the killing, and public reports list the weapon used as a kitchen knife. Arrest paperwork also notes Depriest had a gunshot wound to the leg, though officials have not publicly explained how he was injured.
Legal consequences
The life sentence means Depriest's only potential path out of prison is parole after serving at least 20 years, and even then, court documents say he would be required to register as a violent offender for a decade. Prosecutors dismissed multiple other counts as part of the plea resolution, leaving the aggravated murder conviction as the controlling charge in Clark County Common Pleas Court.
