On December 25, 2017, 57-year-old African American woman Rose Douthitt was found deceased in her home on Sigsbee Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. Responding officers discovered her body around 4:46 p.m., noting multiple signs of trauma. An autopsy confirmed that her injuries were consistent with homicide.
The investigation led to the arrest of 25-year-old Dimitrious Rhodes.
Surveillance footage from a nearby motorcycle club captured Rhodes entering Douthitt's residence on December 22 and leaving the following morning. No other individuals were seen entering or exiting the home during that period. Prosecutors revealed that Douthitt, who had previously allowed Rhodes to sleep on her porch when he was homeless, was acquainted with him through a man she had raised like a son. Rhodes claimed that an argument over money he believed she owed him escalated, leading him to strike her multiple times in the head with an object.
In February 2020, Rhodes pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering. During sentencing, prosecutors initially recommended a 15-year term but adjusted their recommendation to 22 years after Rhodes stated he attacked Douthitt out of fear. However, his defense attorney later clarified that he had paraphrased Rhodes' comments. Ultimately, Rhodes received a 14-year prison sentence.
Rose Douthitt's death marked Columbus's 140th homicide in 2017, setting a new record for the city and surpassing the previous high of 139 homicides in 1991.
