NIMISHILLEN TWP., OH. (THECOUNT) — Jeffery Denton, 64, and his wife, Lorene Denton, 70, are dead following an apparent domestic violence incident at their home in Nimishillen Township, Stark County, Ohio. A female relative who called 911 and hid in an upstairs closet was found by deputies and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Stark County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, to a home in the 4100 block of Broadway Avenue NE in Louisville after a woman reported violence inside the residence.
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While deputies were responding, the caller told dispatchers that a man had shot a woman inside the home. She said she was hiding and waiting for officers to arrive.
When deputies entered the home, they found Jeffery Denton seated in the kitchen and Lorene lying on the floor. Authorities said Denton then shot himself in the head as deputies entered.
Denton was transported by the Nimishillen Township Fire Department to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Lorene was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies found the caller safe in an upstairs closet. She was also taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment of injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Nimishillen Township Fire Department and the Stark County Coroner’s Office. The incident remains under investigation.
911 Calls Reveal Frantic Pleas For Help
The sheriff’s office provided The Repository with two 911 recordings from the incident. The first call came from Lorene, while the second was placed by her female relative.
During the first call, which lasted approximately five minutes, Lorene could be heard crying and yelling that her husband was beating the relative and that police needed to hurry.
“He’s on the floor on top of (her),” Lorene told the dispatcher.
She also said her husband had been drinking and that guns were downstairs.
At approximately three minutes and 54 seconds into the recording, a scream could be heard before the call went silent.
The relative then called 911 from inside a closet. She whispered that Jeffery Denton had a gun and said she had hit him “pretty bad.”
The caller told the dispatcher that she had last seen Lorene get shot in the leg. She said she ran to the closet after hearing a second gunshot.
During the approximately 12-minute call, the woman repeatedly pleaded with the dispatcher to send help.
“Please don’t leave,” she told the dispatcher.
When deputies finally reached her, the caller thanked the dispatcher for remaining on the line.
“Thank you for staying with me,” she said.
Where To Get Help
If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The following resources are also available:
Stark County Crisis Hotline: 330-452-6000. Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” or “Hola” to 741741.
The home is located along Broadway Avenue NE in Nimishillen Township, in Stark County near the Canton metropolitan area of northeastern Ohio. The sheriff’s office identified the location only by the 4100 block; the exact address was not released. A precise map pin could not be independently verified.
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