A Geauga County man has admitted to murdering his ex-wife outside her Chardon home, closing the door on any trial and setting up a high-stakes sentencing in a county that rarely sees homicide cases. Steven A. Kurzinger, 37, pleaded guilty in Geauga County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday and now faces the possibility of life in prison. He was arrested after the June 25, 2025, shooting, and the case has been moving through indictments and court hearings ever since.
Plea reported to court
The guilty plea was reported by FOX8 Cleveland, which notes that Kurzinger admitted in court to killing his ex-wife outside her Chardon residence. Prosecutors are expected to return to court this summer for sentencing following the plea.
Prosecutors say evidence points to premeditation
Police and court records place the shooting in the 300 block of Irma Drive in Chardon. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun from Kurzinger’s vehicle, and GPS and other location data also placed him at the scene, according to reporting by WOIO/Cleveland 19. A grand jury later returned aggravated murder and related weapons counts, and the indictment alleges the killing was planned in advance as part of the state’s case. Geauga County Maple Leaf documented the indictment’s unclassified aggravated murder charge and the weapons under disability allegation.
Family and local context
The two were divorced in 2021 and shared five children, who were roughly 9 to 16 years old at the time of the slaying, according to local reporting. Earlier coverage noted that the case drew outsized attention because Geauga County had seen very few murder prosecutions in recent years, a point community members and officials have continued to emphasize. When the case first broke, the first Geauga County murder in a decade was how it was framed locally.
What comes next in court
Kurzinger remains in jail on a $2,000,000 bond and has waived his right to a speedy trial, according to court records. FOX8 Cleveland reports that a judge has scheduled sentencing for Aug. 5 and will also decide whether Kurzinger will be eligible for parole consideration after at least 20 years of any life term that is imposed.
