Woman who called police on boyfriend stabbed to death in double homicide hours later

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — A healthcare worker and mother of two called police Monday night to report her boyfriend had attacked her in an apartment in northeast Columbus.

Seven hours later, Mariah Hurt, 25 and Wanda Myricks, 43, were stabbed to death in the same apartment building on Walford Street. Police said Hurt’s boyfriend killed them both and then tried to kill himself.

ABC6 On Your Side pulled Monday night’s report in which Hurt told responding officers that her boyfriend got jealous, punched her and shoved her through a glass door. She said he took her house and car keys and then left. Officers cited Hurt’s cuts and lacerations on their report. The report also indicates officers referred Hurt to the Prosecutor’s Office to press charges and left the scene.

Innocent Nshizirungu, 31, will be charged with two counts of murder if he survives his suicide attempt, police said. He was rushed from the double homicide Tuesday morning in critical condition.

Nshizirungu is already facing assault charges stemming from another incident last month involving Hurt. She called police to say he kicked her, punched her and threatened to kill her.

ABC6 On Your Side asked police if officers advised her to leave the area or go to a shelter when clearing her assault call Monday.

CPD administration said this case will be under review but indicated officers are trained on a form called the Domestic Violence Lethality Screening. The screening provides a list of questions to help the officer determine if more help or assistance is needed for the victim. If the victim answers “yes” to if her attacker threatened to kill her, the assessment is automatically considered “high danger.”

“There are certain questions that if they answer affirmative to those that it necessitates an automatic call to our advocates,” CPD Deputy Chief Michael Woods told ABC6 On Your Side. “Officers carry phones. They can set that up and make that phone call right there.”

Police could not say if an assessment or a call was made on Hurt’s behalf Monday hours before she was killed.