An Ohio sheriff’s deputy fatally shot his girlfriend of a year this week before turning the gun on himself.
The Stow Police Department received a call from Latoia Philpott’s family just before 4 p.m. on Monday reporting their inability to reach her. Upon arriving at her residence, they discovered both Latoia and Benjamin Asiedu deceased.
The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Philpott’s death a murder and Asiedu’s a suicide. She was shot multiple times.
Philpott’s family released a statement through police asking for privacy as they “navigate this difficult loss and make arrangements.”
Philpott was the mother of five children, three of them adults and two juveniles. Asiedu had one juvenile child.
Reports from the Akron Beacon Journal revealed that Asiedu had taken an oath as a deputy in October 2023, as indicated in a now-deleted Facebook post by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. His LinkedIn profile mentioned his role as a detention officer in the juvenile court system. Despite requests for comments, the sheriff’s office remained unresponsive.
