LISBON, Ohio — A 51-year-old man has received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder of his ex-wife, following a contentious divorce marked by accusations and threats. William P. Long Jr. was convicted Monday of aggravated murder by a Columbiana County jury after deliberating for just under 90 minutes.
The conviction stemmed from the shooting of Michelle Lewis Long, who was killed outside her home on November 29, 2023. During sentencing, Judge Megan Bickerton rejected Long’s claims of innocence, asserting that the evidence clearly illustrated his guilt. The court also imposed additional years for firearm-related offenses linked to the crime.
The couple’s turbulent relationship included a protracted divorce, during which Michelle was awarded primary custody of their teenage son, alongside spousal and child support. Witness accounts and investigative testimony revealed a series of alarming threats made by Long, including a cell phone video in which he reportedly stated, “I will kill you.”
Evidence presented during the trial painted a disturbing picture of Long’s behavior prior to the tragic incident. A friend testified about previous conversations in which Long expressed intentions to harm Michelle, stating he would “let authorities figure it out.” Prosecutors described aggressive messages sent to Michelle, in which Long blamed her for their elder son’s suicide and issued ominous predictions about her future.
Throughout the trial, Long maintained that his threatening remarks were merely drunken rants and posed no real danger. However, the judge dismissed this defense after the jury’s verdict, emphasizing that such remarks lose the status of idle talk once they result in actual harm.
On the day of her death, Michelle Long, a dedicated math and STEM teacher at Leetonia High School, followed her usual routine. After leaving work, she visited her sister and lawyer, picked up food, and bought a television before returning home shortly before 6 p.m. Shortly after arriving, she was ambushed at her mailbox in her red pickup truck.
Investigators reconstructed the events leading up to the shooting using security footage and witness testimonies. Long was seen earlier that day picking up their teenage son from the same high school, where he exchanged items with his son before dropping him off at his grandfather’s house. Surveillance cameras captured Long’s dark blue pickup truck approaching Michelle’s vehicle just before the shooting, with a striking flash marking the moment of the crime.
The murder weapon was a .44-caliber revolver, and while Long claimed to have sold his firearm before the attack, investigators found .44-caliber ammunition in his vehicles and on a keychain, undermining his defense.
Throughout the trial, the evidence against Long grew overwhelming, fueled by surveillance footage and witness accounts that outlined a clear timeline of events. Prosecutors argued that the crime was premeditated and that Michelle was deliberately targeted in her own home, challenging the notion that it was a random act of violence in a normally quiet community.
Michelle Long is remembered fondly by her colleagues and former students as a compassionate educator and devoted mother. Following the sentencing, her family chose not to comment, reflecting on the profound loss felt in the wake of this tragedy.