On November 18, 2024, in East Rochester, Ohio, 37-year-old Vanessa R. Chester was found deceased alongside her husband, 50-year-old Jason Hilaire, in their home on Ridge Road. The discovery was made by Chester's 16-year-old son, who found the couple in the basement with apparent gunshot wounds. Authorities responded to a welfare check request after a mutual friend received a 28-minute "ominous-sounding voicemail" from Hilaire, expressing regrets and dissatisfaction with his life.
The Columbiana County Sheriff's Office, along with the Minerva Police Department and the Sandy Creek Joint Fire District, responded to the scene. A 10-millimeter handgun was found near the bodies, and evidence collected included multiple spent shell casings, live pistol rounds, two different pistols, divorce paperwork, and phones. Sheriff Brian McLaughlin indicated that the incident is being investigated as a suspected murder-suicide, with preliminary findings suggesting that Hilaire may have shot Chester multiple times before taking his own life.
Chester and Hilaire were reportedly in the process of a divorce at the time of their deaths. Both were air traffic controllers and military veterans. Chester worked for the Federal Aviation Administration at the Youngstown Airport and had previously served the Department of Defense at the Pentagon. She was also a U.S. Army veteran and held a Bachelor's degree in Business from Phoenix University. She is survived by her two children, Haiden and Heidi, her mother, Kelli Chester, and her brother, Shawn Chester.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office and the Columbiana County Coroner's Office working to finalize their findings. No official court filings regarding the couple's divorce were found in Columbiana County Common Pleas court records. Authorities have urged anyone with additional information to contact the sheriff's office at 330-424-7255.
