Columbus, Ohio | March 21, 2024
Marchelle Freeman did what so many victims of domestic violence are told to do.
She called the police.
She asked for help.
She begged for protection.
According to a lawsuit filed by her family, help never came.
A Plea for Protection
On March 21, 2024, Columbus Division of Police officers responded twice to the home Marchelle shared with her boyfriend, 64-year-old Stewart Butler, on East Sycamore Street on Columbus’ Near East Side.
The visits occurred within the six hours leading up to her death.
According to the wrongful death lawsuit, Marchelle repeatedly pleaded with responding officers to protect her and asked them to remove Butler’s firearm because she feared for her life.
Her family alleges those pleas were ignored.
The lawsuit further claims Butler’s threats toward Marchelle were captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras, yet officers minimized the situation and left without taking further action.
Hours later, Butler shot and killed the 60-year-old inside the home.
Criminal Case Against Stewart Butler
After the shooting, Butler initially claimed he acted in self-defense.
He later admitted to investigators that he fired his gun in Marchelle’s direction because he was angry that she had “kicked and poked” him.
In September 2025, Butler pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 14 to 19½ years in prison.
The Family’s Civil Lawsuit
But for Marchelle’s family, the case did not end there.
In February 2026, her daughter filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court against three Columbus police officers, including Officer Timothy Fuller.
The lawsuit alleges officers failed to protect Marchelle despite her repeated pleas for help.
It also alleges they failed to determine that Butler was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior criminal case involving the unlawful discharge of a gun at a neighbor in 2023.
According to the family’s attorneys, had officers checked Butler’s criminal history and confiscated the weapon, Marchelle might still be alive today.
The case returned to the spotlight again in June 2026 after Officer Timothy Fuller—one of the officers named in the lawsuit—was arrested and indicted on charges including strangulation, domestic violence, felonious assault, and abduction.
Authorities allege Fuller violently assaulted his own girlfriend, choking her until she lost consciousness.
The law firm representing Marchelle’s family has stated it is closely monitoring those criminal proceedings as the civil lawsuit continues.
A Legacy Beyond the Courtroom
Marchelle’s story is about more than one tragic night.
It is about what happens when someone asks for help, says they are afraid, and believes they have done everything they were supposed to do.
Her family now hopes the lawsuit will bring accountability and help prevent another family from experiencing the same devastating loss.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
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