Convicted killer Christopher Morrison sits with his defense attorneys Terry Grenga, left, and Joe King, right, on Tuesday morning while Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton sentences him to life in prison with parole eligibility in 25 years for killing and dismembering his wife, Tiffany, last December. Morrison entered a guilty plea last month to all six charges against him. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON — Christopher Morrison faced his punishment Tuesday morning — life in prison with parole eligibility in 25 years — for murdering and dismembering his wife and mother of his three children just a week before Christmas last year in Liverpool Township.

The murder investigation revealed that Tiffany Morrison was leaving him, but on Dec. 18, 2023, he made sure she never left the Shadyside Road home again.

“My daughter was trying to get away from this monster,” Tiffany’s mother, Ruth Mahley, said while addressing Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton.

She described how her life was shattered when she learned what happened to her daughter, how Tiffany was shot by the man who was supposed to love her and protect her, how he stuffed her remains into garbage bags to rot.

She also pointed out how Christopher Morrison, 35, continued posting on social media after killing 34-year-old Tiffany, describing himself as single and posting about what he wanted for Christmas for his family.

He took his children’s mother, she said, and “their lives will forever be changed.”

Tiffany will never see her children go to formal, she’ll miss graduation, she’ll miss seeing them walk down the aisle and she’ll never get to hold her grandchildren. She’ll never get to celebrate another Christmas or birthday or holiday ever again.

Mahley said she fears for her grandchildren and fears for herself and all of her family. She said she no longer feels safe while picking up her grandchildren, who still live in the Shadyside Road home with their paternal grandmother.

“Every time I pull up to that house, I envision what he did to my daughter. My heart is heavy,” she said.

Mahley told the judge she wanted the death penalty for him, but at the very least, he should face life in prison and never see his children again. She asked for justice for her daughter.

“I am so sorry for your loss. I hope this small amount of closure can bring you peace,” Bickerton said to Tiffany’s family.

Bickerton followed the state’s recommendation for sentencing: 20 years to life for aggravated murder and the merged charge of murder, a mandatory three years for a firearm specification, 12 months for the two third-degree felony tampering with evidence charges and 12 months for the fifth-degree felony gross abuse of a corpse charge, bringing the total to 25 years to life. A 12-month term for the possessing criminal tools charge will be served at the same time as all other charges. She also designated Christopher Morrison as a violent offender, meaning if he ever gets out of prison, he’ll have to register with law enforcement so they have his address, place of employment and license plates for every vehicle. He received credit for 273 days already served in jail.

Christopher Morrison has been behind bars since his arrest on Dec. 20, 2023, the day Liverpool Township Police found Tiffany’s remains after executing a search warrant at the residence.

County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Weikart, who was assisted by county Assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone, said it’s really a case of domestic violence. He described the defendant as a narcissist who wanted his way. He chose to kill her instead of letting her leave. They were having marital problems and he had been trying to manipulate her into staying, using financial roadblocks and even beginning to try to turn the kids against her.

Weikart read from a text Tiffany sent to someone on Dec. 14, saying “I think Tiffany should have the last word.”

In the text, she talked about how they had been through a lot and they had grown, but said “I’m tired of being unappreciated and spoken down to.”

She talked about her long working hours, and then everything she did for laundry, running here and there for the kids, making dinner and it was never enough.

“I honestly tried. But I’m done,” she wrote.

She wanted to get her own place and wanted to see her kids fairly. She wasn’t trying to abandon them or take them from him.

“I just want to move on and be civil,” she wrote.

Defense attorney Terry Grenga addressed the court and asked the judge to follow the agreed upon recommendation.

“What we know is we can’t bring back time. My client is extremely remorseful for what has happened,” she said, calling it a tragic situation.

She also acknowledged that Tiffany wanted to leave her client, she wanted time with her children and to start a new life. That never occurred.

Christopher Morrison said he was very sorry for the things that have happened.

“I let all common sense and reason leave me,” he said.

He said he still loved his wife, that she was his everything.

“I’ll be sorry for this until my last breath,” he said.

In addressing him, Bickerton said maybe he’s genuinely remorseful, but she doesn’t know. What she does know is what she saw on the videotaped interview with Liverpool Township police. How he claimed he didn’t know where his wife was, he belittled her, told his children bad things about her and he spoke ill of her.

“Is that how you treat people you love?” she asked.

She noted that his thought after killing her wasn’t what did I do, but how do I get away with it. She agreed with the prosecution that he was a narcissist.

After the hearing, Weikart thanked the Liverpool Township Police Department and members of the Major Crimes Task Force who participated in the investigation, including the county Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police, East Palestine Police and the county’s Special Response Team.

“Without their hard work, we’d never get this resolved,” he said.

Weikart was pleased with the outcome, adding “like the judge said, this resolution provides some closure and doesn’t make the family have to endure a trial.” He said there won’t be an appeal either since the sentence was jointly recommended.

“I’m confidant the defendant’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison,” he said.

As for the family, he said, “I feel for them and I really pray that those kids get the counseling and support they need going forward.”

At the time of their mother’s death, they were ages 9, 13 and 14.

Weikart went into more detail about what happened, saying the investigation showed that Christopher Morrison shot Tiffany in the head in the shower in the basement, leaving a hole that he apparently tried to cover up with caulk. A hook had been placed over the spot.

The investigation started the morning of Dec. 20 when a friend Christopher Morrison confided in contacted police. The Liverpool Township Police and members of the Major Crimes Task Force secured a search warrant and had been watching the house. He left the house and Chief Jared Kinemond initiated a traffic stop. Then the search began, with the patched hole found in the basement shower and the projectile found behind the wall. When Christopher Morrison was stopped, he had a 9 mm gun. Inside the shed on the property, investigators found seven garbage bags placed in a carpet roll with a blue tarp on top. Six of the bags contained Tiffany’s remains and one contained a sawzall with blades and a box for the sawzall.

Through the investigation, Weikart said Christopher Morrison had a receipt for Pet Supplies Plus in Steubenville for the morning of Dec. 20, 2023. The bar code for the sawzall was checked and that model was only found at Harbor Freight, which was in the same plaza as Pet Supplies Plus. A video from Walmart, also in the plaza, showed the defendant going into Harbor Freight at 9:03 a.m., with the receipt from Pet Supplies Plus timed at 9:23 a.m. At Walmart, he purchased rubbing alcohol, trash bags and paper towels. Police found a new lock on the shed.

Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito J. Abruzzino issued a press release following the sentencing and noted parole hearing eligibility won’t occur for Morrison until 2050.

He credited the work of Kinemond and Detective Robert Ramsey of the Liverpool Township Police Department and their officers, the Columbiana County Major Crimes Task Force, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Columbiana County Coroner’s Office, and the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation in this case. This was a complete investigation resulting in a conviction on all counts of the indictment.

“The Columbiana County Major Crimes Task Force is a critical tool in bringing to bear all possible resources of the county and state to help solve violent crime. I am proud to report that all police agencies in the county are now participants in the task force. Since 2021, when activated to assist in a case, we have a 100% conviction rate,” Abruzzino said.

mgreier@mojonews.com