Columbus Substitute Teacher Offers Student $2K for Murder Plot
A Columbus substitute teacher is facing a felony conspiracy charge after allegedly attempting to pay a high school student to kill her estranged husband.
Stephanie Demetrius (44) approached a student at the Academy for Urban Scholars High School and offered $2,000 in exchange for the murder, according to court records. She reportedly gave the teen a $250 down payment and also provided details on when her children would be out of the home.
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During her court appearance Thursday, Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Parker Schwartz revealed that Demetrius had a history of violent behavior. Her estranged husband had previously obtained a protection order against her, due to multiple incidents of domestic violence.
Court filings accuse Demetrius of stabbing her husband with scissors, attempting to run him over with a car, setting a fire in their basement, and damaging property inside their home. She was also accused of physically assaulting two of their children.
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Records indicate that Demetrius filed for divorce in April 2024. Her husband sought emergency custody of their children in July.
Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Jessica D’Varga set her bond at $150,000 and ordered her to comply with a protection order barring contact with her husband.
She is currently being held at the James A. Karnes Correction Center in downtown Columbus.
