CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — A man admitted in court to murdering his ex-wife back in July 2023.
On Wednesday, Chase Ainsworth was sentenced to life without parole for first degree murder.
A Cleveland County judge said "it's fitting for the horror he's caused."
Ainsworth admitted to killing his ex-wife, Samantha Ainsworth, at her Oklahoma City home on July 29, 2023.
"This is not just a crisis. This is a this is a pandemic of domestic violence," said Brandon Pasley, with the YWCA.
When police arrived to the home, they found Samantha dead and their 5-year-old son missing.
Domestic violence advocates said sadly, stories like Samantha's are far too common, especially in the state of Oklahoma.
"Oklahoma has ranked 15 out of the last 25 years where there has been a ranking of the states against one another in women killed by men," said Pasley. "It's not getting any better anytime soon."
Months before her death, Samantha filed for a Victim Protective Order against Ainsworth.
Court documents reveal a history of violations by Ainsworth, including attempted break-ins and sending her alarming messages.
"50% of the time protective orders increase safety. The other 50% of the time, protective orders increased risk," said Pasley.
Ainsworth also got 10 years for kidnapping, and one year for interfering with an emergency call.
Advocates said more needs to be done to protect domestic violence victims.
"Our crisis lines are ringing off the hook in a way. I think our advocates are experiencing a frequency that they never have before," said Pasley.
The Cleveland County District Attorney reacted to Ainsworth's sentencing saying,
It is rare to permit a defendant to plead guilty once the decision has been made to pursue the death penalty. However, after consulting with the family and carefully considering all options, we decided to resolve the case without going to trial. This approach guarantees that the children will not have to testify in court, and it provides certainty regarding the defendant's sentence. He will spend the rest of his life in prison and will die there. Just not as soon as he probably should.
District Attorney Greg Mashburn
