An Ohio appeals court has shut down an attempt by Zanesville resident Sterling Mullins to cut his prison time, keeping in place the 25-year sentence he received for a brutal domestic assault that left his partner with devastating head and facial injuries and traumatized their 13-year-old son, who was forced to witness the attack. Mullins had argued that two of his convictions should have been merged at sentencing, but the appellate panel said no, leaving intact the punishment imposed after his guilty plea last year.
What the prosecution says
Prosecutors say the violence erupted on July 15, 2025, when neighbors heard frantic pounding on their door and opened it to find a woman covered in blood, saying someone had tried to kill her, according to the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office. Investigators alleged Mullins repeatedly beat and strangled her, slammed her head into counters and walls, and hit her with a lamp. He later pleaded guilty to three felony counts and two misdemeanors and was handed a 25-year prison term. “This was a brutal attack on a woman inside her own home, witnessed by her child,” Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch said in a statement, per the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office.
Appeals court upholds sentence
On appeal, Mullins claimed that his kidnapping and felonious assault counts should have been merged for sentencing. The Fifth District Court of Appeals was not persuaded, ruling that the trial court handled the sentencing correctly and that the two charges did not need to merge, as reported by ABC St. Louis. The decision leaves intact the negotiated 25-year term that followed Mullins' guilty pleas and the judge's decision to impose separate sentences on each count.
Victim's recovery and consequences
According to prosecutor statements, the victim suffered catastrophic head and facial lacerations, multiple broken bones, and was strangled until she lost consciousness. She has since undergone facial reconstructive surgery and intensive physical therapy to relearn how to walk and talk. Prosecutors say the couple's 13-year-old son saw parts of the assault, details that were included in files described by the Muskingum County office earlier in the case. When announcing the original sentence, the prosecution stressed the long-term physical and neurological harm the woman now faces.
Where Mullins is now and what's next
Mullins is currently incarcerated at the Belmont Correctional Institution and, according to reporting, has an expected release date of 2050-07-09. After he leaves prison, he will be required to register as a violent offender once a year for ten years. The appeal decision effectively closes this chapter of review, although defendants can sometimes seek additional scrutiny in state courts. The Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office has maintained that the sentence will stand as imposed. The details about Mullins' incarceration were reported by ABC St. Louis.
Statewide context
Advocates and researchers note that strangulation and head trauma are both common and particularly serious red flags in domestic violence cases, and Ohio organizations continue to track fatal and near-fatal incidents across the state. The Ohio Domestic Violence Network compiles fatality data and provides resources for survivors, emphasizing that strangulation frequently shows up in the most severe cases and that services for victims remain a key policy priority, according to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network. Local advocates say lengthy sentences like Mullins' reflect a prosecutorial focus on domestic assaults that leave lasting bodily and neurological damage.
