Man went to the home of his ex-girlfriend he blamed for his arrest as soon as he was released on bond, and hit her repeatedly with an ax in the head, killing her; sentenced

Kansas – In a disturbing case that left Kansas residents shocked, a 64-year-old man, identified as J. Ewing was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend, identified as D. Stephens. Judge B. Watson handed down the sentence, ensuring that Ewing will spend the rest of his life behind bars for his crimes, which include first-degree felony murder and second-degree reckless murder.

On April 27, 2021, at approximately 5:30 p.m., emergency services were dispatched to a mobile home lot in response to a call about an unresponsive woman. Upon arrival, deputies from the sheriff’s office discovered the body of Stephens inside a trailer. She was pronounced dead at the scene, her body bearing signs of severe blunt force trauma to her face, torso, and arms.

The scene was horrific. Medical personnel noted significant chunks missing from Stephens’ face, and dogs were seen eating parts of her body. Ewing, identified as the victim’s ex-boyfriend and present at the scene upon the arrival of the deputies, was immediately detained.

Investigations revealed chilling details about the events leading up to Stephens’ death. Surveillance footage from the victim’s home security system captured Ewing attacking Stephens. He was seen grabbing her hair from behind and dragging her towards the trailer. Ewing then retrieved an ax from just inside the trailer door and used it to strike Stephens repeatedly in the head before throwing her body inside the trailer. During this brutal attack, Ewing was heard threatening Stephens’ life, proclaiming, “I will kill you,” as per the affidavit.

The couple had a turbulent history, with the police responding to 44 calls to their home between April 2020 and April 2021 due to domestic violence incidents. Just days before the murder, Ewing was arrested on felony drug charges and blamed Stephens for his arrest. According to prosecutors, while still in custody, Ewing voiced to another inmate his intentions to kill Stephens upon release and threatened to “cut her head clean off.”

In February, a jury convicted Ewing of the charges, and additional sentences were handed down for a series of related felonies, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, criminal threat of violence, and interference with law enforcement evidence. Judge Watson ordered these sentences to run consecutively, adding up to an additional 344 months in prison, effectively ensuring that Ewing would never be free again.

The District Attorney’s office, in a public statement, expressed relief at the closure of such a brutal case, emphasizing the tragic loss of life and the severe impact on the community. The murder of Stephens is a stark reminder of the brutal realities of domestic violence and the devastating consequences that can arise from it.