Morrison sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his wife | News, Sports, Jobs

Convicted murderer Christopher Morrison sits with defense attorneys Terry Grenga (left) and Joe King (right) Tuesday morning as Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton sentences him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for killing and dismembering his wife, Tiffany, last December. Morrison pleaded guilty to all six counts last month. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON – Christopher Morrison was threatened with his sentence Tuesday morning – a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years – for the murder and dismemberment of his wife and the mother of his three children just a week before Christmas last year in Liverpool Township.

The murder investigation revealed that Tiffany Morrison wanted to leave him, but on December 18, 2023, he made sure she never left the house on Shadyside Road again.

“My daughter tried to escape this monster,” Tiffany's mother, Ruth Mahley, said this in a speech before Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton.

She described how her life was shattered when she learned what had happened to her daughter, how Tiffany was shot by the man who was supposed to love and protect her, and how he stuffed her remains into garbage bags to rot.

She also pointed out that Christopher Morrison, 35, continued to post on social media after the murder of 34-year-old Tiffany, describing himself as single and writing about what he wanted for his family for Christmas.

He took the mother of his children, she said, and “Your life will change forever.”

Tiffany will never see her children go to prom, she will miss graduation, she will not see them walk down the aisle, and she will never be able to hold her grandchildren. She will never be able to celebrate Christmas, her birthday, or any holiday again.

Mahley said she is scared for her grandchildren and scared for herself and her entire family. She said she no longer feels safe picking up her grandchildren, who still live with their paternal grandmother at the house on Shadyside Road.

“Every time I arrive in front of this house, I imagine what he did to my daughter. My heart is heavy.” she said.

Mahley told the judge she wanted the death penalty for him, but at the very least he would have to spend life in prison and never see his children again. She asked for justice for her daughter.

“I am so sorry for your loss. I hope this little closure can bring you peace.” Bickerton said to Tiffany's family.

Bickerton followed the state's recommended sentence: 20 years to life for murder and the combined murder charge, a mandatory three years for a firearm specification, 12 months for the two counts of third-degree tampering with evidence and 12 months for the fifth-degree gross desecration of a corpse, for a total of 25 years to life. A 12-month sentence for the count of possession of instrumentalities will be served concurrently with all other charges. She also designated Christopher Morrison as a violent offender, meaning that if he ever gets out of prison, he will have to register with police so they have his address, place of employment and license plates of all vehicles. He was given credit for 273 days he has already served in prison.

Christopher Morrison has been behind bars since his arrest on December 20, 2023. That day, Liverpool Township police found Tiffany's remains after executing a search warrant on the apartment.

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Weikart, assisted by Steve Yacovone, said it was really a domestic violence case. He described the defendant as a narcissist who wanted to get his way. He chose to kill her rather than let her go. They were having marital problems and he had tried to manipulate her into staying by taking advantage of financial obstacles and even began to turn the children against her.

Weikart read from a text that Tiffany had sent to someone on December 14. It said: “I think Tiffany should have the last word.”

In the text she talked about how much they had been through and how they had grown, but said “I’m tired of being unappreciated and condescending.”

She talked about her long hours at work and all the laundry she had to do, running here and there for the kids, making dinner and how it was never enough.

“I really tried. But now I'm done.” she wrote.

She wanted her own apartment and fair treatment of her children. She didn't want to abandon them or take them away from him.

“I just want to move on and be polite,” she wrote.

Defense attorney Terry Grenga addressed the court and asked the judge to follow the agreed recommendation.

“We know we cannot turn back time. My client deeply regrets what happened.” she said, calling it a tragic situation.

She also acknowledged that Tiffany wanted to leave her client because she wanted to spend time with her children and start a new life, but that never happened.

Christopher Morrison said he was very sorry for what had happened.

“I have abandoned all common sense and reason,” he said.

He said he still loved his wife and she was his everything.

“I will regret this until my last breath,” he said.

In her address to him, Bickerton said he may be genuinely remorseful, but she doesn't know that. What she does know is what she saw on the videotaped interview with Liverpool Township police: how he claimed he didn't know where his wife was, how he belittled her, told his children bad things about her, and spoke badly of her.

“Is this how you treat the people you love?” she asked.

She noticed that after murdering her, his thought was not, “What have I done?” but, “How am I going to get away with this?” She agreed with the accusation that he was a narcissist.

After the hearing, Weikart thanked the Liverpool Township Police Department and members of the Major Crimes Task Force who participated in the investigation, including the county sheriff's office, Salem police, East Palestine police and the county's Special Response Team.

“Without their hard work, we would never have been able to solve this problem,” he said.

Weikart was satisfied with the result and added “As the judge said, this solution provides some closure and saves the family from having to endure a court case.” He said there would be no appeal as the verdict had been jointly recommended.

“I am convinced that the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison,” he said.

About the family he said: “I feel for them and really pray that these children get the counseling and support they need in the future.”

At the time of their mother's death they were 9, 13 and 14 years old.

Weikart went into more detail about the incident, saying the investigation revealed that Christopher Morrison shot Tiffany in the head in the basement shower, leaving a hole that he apparently tried to fill with caulk and placed a hook over the spot.

The investigation began on the morning of December 20, when a friend in whom Christopher Morrison had confided contacted police. Liverpool Township police and members of the Major Crimes Task Force obtained a search warrant and had the home under surveillance. He left the home and Police Chief Jared Kinemond initiated a traffic stop. The search then began, finding the patched hole in the basement shower and the projectile behind the wall. When Christopher Morrison was stopped, he had a 9mm handgun with him. Inside the shed on the property, investigators found seven garbage bags in a carpet roll covered with a blue tarp. Six of the bags contained Tiffany's remains and one contained a reciprocating saw with blades and a box for the reciprocating saw.

As part of the investigation, Weikart said Christopher Morrison had a receipt for Pet Supplies Plus in Steubenville dated the morning of December 20, 2023. The barcode on the reciprocating saw was checked and that model was only found at Harbor Freight, which was located in the same mall as Pet Supplies Plus. A video from Walmart, also in the mall, showed the defendant entering Harbor Freight at 9:03 a.m., with the receipt from Pet Supplies Plus dated 9:23 a.m. At Walmart, he purchased rubbing alcohol, garbage bags and paper towels. Police found a new lock on the shed.

Columbiana County District Attorney Vito J. Abruzzino issued a press release following the verdict, noting that Morrison would not be eligible for a parole hearing until 2050.

He commended the work of Kinemond and Detective Robert Ramsey of the Liverpool Township Police Department and their officers, the Columbiana County Major Crimes Task Force, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Columbiana County Coroner's Office and the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office for their investigation of this case. This was a comprehensive investigation that resulted in a conviction on all charges.

“The Columbiana County Major Crimes Task Force is an important tool for leveraging all possible county and state resources to solve violent crimes. I am proud to report that all county police agencies now participate in the task force. As of 2021, we have a 100% conviction rate when we are activated to assist in a case.” said Abruzzino.

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