MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. -- Jason Ross, 50, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Monday for the murder of his girlfriend, Kathleen Hales, following his conviction by a Macomb County jury last month.
Ross was found guilty on September 4 of first-degree murder after a ten-day trial. According to court records, he brutally stabbed Hales, 47, and struck her with a hammer on July 24, 2021, in their Sterling Heights home. After killing her, Ross fled the scene with Hales' credit cards, prescription drugs, and car, hiding her body before his escape.
Authorities apprehended Ross in Prescott, Mich., where he was found in possession of one of the murder weapons and items belonging to the victim, police said.
In addition to the murder charge, Ross was convicted of multiple felonies, including larceny from a building, unlawful driving away of a motor vehicle, and stealing a financial transaction device without consent. He was sentenced by Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Sabaugh to life without parole for the murder.
"As a community, we cannot tolerate such acts of brutality. This sentence ensures that justice is served for the victim, her family, and all those affected by this senseless violence," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement.