Michigan man gets life for killing his girlfriend by stabbing and hitting her with hammer

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (TCN) -- A man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing his girlfriend and hiding her body before taking off with her credit cards, prescription drugs, and vehicle.

Per the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, a judge sentenced Jason Ross on Oct. 10 to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 47-year-old Kathleen Hales. A jury found him guilty last month of first-degree murder, larceny from a building, unlawful driving away a motor vehicle, and stealing a financial transaction device without consent.

The prosecutor’s office said Ross "brutally" killed Hales on July 24, 2021, "by stabbing her multiple times and hitting her with a hammer in their home in Sterling Heights." Authorities later took him into custody and found one of the weapons he used to kill Hales, as well as the victim’s belongings.

The medical examiner reportedly "described the suffering endured by the victim as nothing short of torture."

In a statement, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said, "As a community, we cannot tolerate such acts of brutality. This sentence ensures that justice is served for the victim, her family, and all those affected by this senseless violence. Our thoughts are with the loved ones who continue to grieve, and we hope this conviction brings them some measure of peace."