Former Ohio State University music professor James S. Hill was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing his wife, Mary Hill, at their Upper Arlington home in November 2025.
Hill, 77, pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to murder and a charge related to harming a companion animal.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. The animal-related sentence will run concurrently.
Wife Was Killed at Upper Arlington Home
Upper Arlington police responded to a 911 hang-up call at the couple’s home on the 1500 block of Fishinger Road at about 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2025. Officers found Mary, 64, dead from a stab wound to the chest. Hill was also injured and was taken to a hospital…