Eva Knox, a 78-year-old White woman, was one of four people killed in a shooting on August 5, 2022, in their quiet Butler Township neighborhood near Dayton, Ohio. Eva, who was also known as Sally, and her husband, Clyde Knox, 82, were fatally shot at their home. Their neighbors, 41-year-old Sarah Anderson and her 15-year-old daughter, Kayla Anderson, were also killed in the attack.
The violence unfolded at two homes on Hardwicke Place.
Prosecutors later stated that Sarah Anderson had just returned from grocery shopping when a neighbor shot her in her garage. The gunman then went inside and shot her daughter, Kayla, who was on the phone with a friend. Afterward, he went to the Knox residence, where he shot Eva in the doorway of a detached garage and Clyde as he sat in a lawn chair. All four victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
The primary suspect, 39-year-old neighbor Stephen Marlow, fled the area, prompting a multi-state manhunt. The FBI issued a federal arrest warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The search ended the following day when police in Lawrence, Kansas, took Marlow into custody. He was then extradited to Ohio to face charges.
In November 2022, a Montgomery County grand jury indicted Marlow on 12 counts of aggravated murder, with specifications that made him eligible for the death penalty. He was also charged with eight counts of aggravated burglary, one count of tampering with evidence, and one count of having weapons under disability.
Marlow’s lawyers entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. According to court documents, Marlow believed his neighbors were "sleeper cell terrorists" who were part of a mind control group. He was ordered to undergo treatment and psychological evaluations to determine his fitness for trial.
After months of treatment and testing, medical experts concluded that it was unlikely Marlow’s competency could be restored. In December 2024, a judge found him incompetent to stand trial and unrestorable within the legal time limit. In response, prosecutors filed motions asking the court to retain jurisdiction over the case, which would preserve the possibility of a criminal trial in the future. As of December 2024, the case remained in this legal limbo.
