Man sentenced to prison for fatal March 2023 shooting

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A Columbus man will spend at least the next 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a March 2023 fatal double shooting .

Erich Barbee , 31, pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated murder with a firearm specification and attempted murder with a violent career criminal specification for the March 16, 2023, crime on Rodgers Avenue in Franklinton.

Barbee admitted to shooting and killing Marissa Saultz, 44, in the back of the head, and shooting a 30-year-old woman in the forehead; she survived her injuries. The 30-year-old woman’s one-year-old child was in the home at the time of the shooting, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to police, Saultz was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other victim crawled out of a window and yelled for help from the roof of the house.

Barbee was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. He will also be required to register with the Violent Offender Database.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.