A Franklin County jury has found 38-year-old Jason Palmer guilty of murder, strangulation, and domestic violence in the killing of his girlfriend, Rachel Prince, a 46-year-old Columbus City Schools art teacher, and a judge has now sentenced him to life in prison. Prince, who was in her second year teaching art at Marion-Franklin High School when she died, was found unresponsive inside her apartment in the 5000 block of Cobblestone Drive on July 13, 2025.
According to 10TV, Columbus police were called to the apartment after a report of an unresponsive woman and found Prince dead on the bedroom floor. Investigators reported that Palmer strangled Prince the night before, moved her body into the bedroom, and fled the apartment. It was Palmer's own sister and mother who discovered Prince after getting no answer at the door and forcing their way inside, per the same account.
Court records reviewed by CBS News paint a detailed picture of the night of the attack: surveillance and witness evidence placed Prince on an outdoor concrete walkway at 10:30 p.m. on July 12, 2025, where Palmer was seen standing over her before dragging her inside. No one else entered or exited the residence until Palmer left the following morning at 7 a.m. The Franklin County Coroner's Office determined that Prince's cause of death was strangulation accompanied by blunt force trauma to her head and arms, according to CBS News.
A Documented History of Abuse
Palmer's violence toward Prince was not a secret to the courts. Court records reported by True Crime News show he had a November 2023 conviction for aggravated menacing after threatening Prince's family, a September 2024 assault that hospitalized her, and a domestic violence guilty plea entered in June 2025 — just one month before the murder. Palmer had been under court supervision and protective orders in the years leading up to the killing, per that outlet's reporting.
Palmer was arrested on July 15, 2025, after community tips helped investigators locate and detain him, and a Franklin County Municipal Court judge set his bond at $10 million during an initial arraignment hearing two days later, according to a report cited by WSYX. That bond was requested due to the severity of the charges and Palmer's probation violations.
Prosecutor Calls Domestic Violence a Crisis
Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor extended condolences to Prince's children and family, saying accountability may provide the family closure. Favor also said domestic violence remains a crisis in Columbus and across Franklin County, and that victim witness advocates in her office are ready to help victims and survivors of domestic violence whether or not they choose to press charges.
Palmer was ultimately sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of early parole after 15 years, per a release from the prosecutor's office. The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office is encouraging domestic violence victims to call 614-525-3555 and request an advocate, while the Franklin County domestic violence hotline can be reached at 614-224-4663.
Remembering a Teacher Who Uplifted Students
Prince's teaching career spanned two decades, taking her between Baltimore, Maryland, and Columbus. Before joining Marion-Franklin High School, she taught art for more than eight years at The Charles School at Ohio Dominican University, according to a report from The Graham Family of Schools. She was also a mother to two children, Isaac and Anna, and community fundraisers were organized to support them after her death.
Marion-Franklin High School Principal Tanita Fleming issued a letter to families honoring Prince for devoting her life to uplifting young people, and Columbus City Schools deployed its C.A.R.E. Team to provide grief counseling for students, 10TV reported at the time. Students and community members held a candlelight vigil at Goodale Park, followed by a turquoise-themed balloon release at Marion-Franklin High School, with organizers inviting attendees to wear turquoise, Prince's favorite color, according to a GoFundMe page set up for her family.
The Strangulation Charge
Palmer was convicted of strangulation in connection with Prince's death.
