Minutes before a Hudson woman was shot and killed allegedly by her estranged husband on Saturday, she told her stepdaughter she was worried he lured their children from their home so he could attack her, according to police reports.
“Ugh. I feel so vulnerable right now,” wrote Kristi Bice, 42. “I hope he isn’t planning on getting them out of the house so he can blow me up.”
Stephen Bice, 53, had asked the couple’s three teenage sons to meet him at Fun and Stuff, an entertainment center in Macedonia. The boys — age 18, 16 and 13 — told police they waited awhile at the center, but their father never arrived.
At noon, Kristi sent the message via Facebook to her husband’s 29-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Kristi and her stepdaughter were close, according to police. Stephen also has a 31-year-old son from the previous marriage.
At 12:04 p.m., the couple’s 18-year-old son called his mother, but she did not pick up. Police suspect she was already dead.
Minutes later, the son pulled into the family’s driveway, discovered the front door ajar and found his parents dead of gunshot wounds to their heads in the living room foyer.
Police reported it appeared Stephen had forced his way into the Ravenna Road home and fired several shots into Kristi’s abdomen. She collapsed and he then shot her in the head. At some point he also shot the family’s Great Dane, who survived, police said, and then he turned the gun on himself.
Kristi was found with her phone and a revolver near her body. She never fired a shot, police said.
A strong odor of alcohol was detected on Stephen’s body, according to reports. His vehicle was found parked about a mile away. Inside it was a gun box and ammunition, suggesting he had just purchased the weapon.
Domestic violence
The suspected murder-suicide followed months of marital turbulence in the home, according to police reports. Kristi told police she suspected her husband was suffering from serious mental health issues.
In November, Stephen pretended to kill himself with a gun inside the home. Kristi reported the incident two months later, once she grew concerned for her and her sons’ safety. A bullet hole found in the home supported Kristi’s story.
On Jan. 14, Kristi told police her husband had a serious alcohol abuse problem. She said he threatened to harm her, himself and two of her friends the night before, while he was intoxicated. She also accused him of forcing her to perform sex acts.
Stephen told police he suspected Kristi was involved in an extramarital affair with the friends he allegedly threatened, though he denied he ever made threats or forced Kristi into sex acts. He refused psychiatric help, and police said there wasn’t enough evidence to compel treatment.
He was charged with domestic violence and a judge granted a temporary protection order, which barred Stephen from contacting Kristi while the case was ongoing.
On Jan. 15, Kristi called police to report she heard gunshots near her home. She suspected Stephen was “messing with her.” Police investigated but found no evidence.
On Jan. 16, Kristi reported Stephen was staying with a friend in Eastlake, and the friend had called her to warn her that Stephen may be coming to their home. She declined to leave, instead telling police that her brother — Akron police Det. Ron Kennedy — would stay with her. Stephen later returned to his friend’s home without incident.
On Jan. 17, Kristi told police she had received text messages from her husband. She had been using her youngest son’s phone but she said she suspected the messages were meant for her. Stephen also sent text messages to the other sons expressing frustration that they seemed to be ignoring him.
On Jan. 25, Stephen’s daughter told police she was alone at the house when she saw Stephen check the mail and pull into the driveway. She then saw him drive by the house several times. Stephen admitted he had been there, but said he didn’t realize he was barred from checking the mail. Stephen was charged with violating the order.
On Feb. 23, Stephen’s two court cases came to a close. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct. Stow Municipal Judge Kim Hoover placed Stephen on two years of probation and fined him $250. The protection order stayed.
On March 17, Kristi reported Stephen called urging her to drop the protection order. She refused.
On March 18, Kristi said she received nine calls in a row from Stephen. Stephen denied he called Kristi on purpose and suggested he had accidentally “butt-dialed” her number.
Police suspected Stephen was intoxicated because he had slurred speech and his answers to questions were delayed.
On March 19, Kristi and Stephen were found dead in the home.
Prevention
Terri Heckman, CEO of the Summit County Battered Women’s Shelter and Rape Crisis Center, said the Bice case likely will go before the county’s Fatality Review Committee. The committee includes social service agencies, police, prosecutors and the medical examiner.
Heckman said she expects to examine what more the justice system could have done to prevent these deaths.
“In this particular situation, my questions will be what we could have done to stop this from happening,” she said. “There was so much going on in this case that he was almost telling people he was going to do this. I have to say in my heart that this man may have been crying out” for help.
“I’m sure one of the things in this case that will come up will be the ability of an offender to plead guilty to a lesser charge,” she said. “Would that have changed the outcome? God only knows. But for us who are trying to make sense out of this horrific situation, we’ve got to try to find how to move through this whole domestic violence issue.”
Heckman said the protection order wasn’t enough. She said stronger penalties against Stephen and the ability to compel psychiatric help may have prevented the couple’s deaths.
Still, she said treating Stephen’s alleged mental illnesses also might not have been enough.
“People suffering from alcohol abuse or depression or bipolar disorder aren’t predisposed to violence,” she said. “This was fuel on top of the fire. If we had treated those problems, he still might have been abusive — just maybe not physically violent. …”
“In the end, unless we can get to the offender and figure out how to work with them, we’re never going to stop these crimes.”
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ.