Man accused of killing ex-wife in Chardon appears in court
CHARDON, Ohio (WJW) — A man accused of killing his ex-wife, who was found dead on her doorstep, appeared in court on Friday.
Steven Kurzinger, 36, faces the first murder charge filed in Geauga County in more than a decade.
Chardon Municipal Court Judge Terri Stupica on Friday ordered Kurzinger jailed on a $5 million bond, and ordered him to have no contact with the five children he shared with the victim.
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Watch the full arraignment hearing below:
Neighbors on Irma Drive said they heard shots at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday. One woman told FOX 8 News she first thought they might have been from a hunter. Minutes later, she looked out to see police swarming the scene.
Chardon Police Chief Scott Niehus at a Friday media briefing identified the victim as 37-year-old Alexandria Kurzinger. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Steven Kurzinger drove to a Concord Township residence right after the shooting, and met with people whom he knew but were not related to the family, Niehus said. He told one of them he had just killed his ex-wife, he said.
Lake County deputies responded to the scene and arrested him, less than one hour after the shooting happened, Niehus said.
Authorities found the suspected murder weapon, a handgun, in his vehicle, Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz said at the Friday morning arraignment. GPS data also placed Steven Kurzinger at the scene of the crime, he said.
He has refused to talk to investigators, Niehus said.
'Our investigation remains very active and we still have a lot of work to do,' he said Friday. 'We're working to understand the circumstances leading up to this event and the relationships of those involved.'
Watch the full media briefing below:
Steven Kurzinger has a misdemeanor charge of criminal damaging pending in Painesville Municipal Court. It was filed in April, records show. A condition of his bond in that case barred him from possessing weapons, Flaiz said Friday, arguing the discovery of the suspected murder weapons constitutes a bond violation.
Court records show Kurzinger pleaded not guilty to that charge earlier this month and that he was ordered not to commit 'acts of violence' and not to have no contact with the victims.
The day of the shooting, he failed to appear for a Wednesday hearing on the misdemeanor charge, Flaiz said.
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The couple divorced in 2021 and had been in and out of court over child custody. They had a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Steven and Alexandria Kurzinger shared five children between the ages of 9 and 16, authorities said Friday. Local job and family services workers are now involved in the case, Niehus said.
Neighbors are in shock.
'I have never been in a situation like this,' said Andrea Skauca. 'It was just confusing and frightening at first.'
The house where the woman was shot is a Ravenwood Health home where women get help for mental health trauma and addiction issues.
Kurzinger is due back in the Chardon court on July 7.
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