Ohio College Student Killed By Ex-Boyfriend Just Hours After She Called Police For Protection

An Ohio college student, Rebecca Eldemire, was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend in her own apartment just hours after calling police for protection. The Miami University student called police the night before her murder, asking them to stop her ex-boyfriend, Larry E. Tipton, from entering her home. After police arrived, Eldemire told them they were no longer needed, so the officers left. Not even 24 hours later, Eldemire would be killed by the very man she had requested protection from the night before.

According to WCPO, Rebecca was a junior at Miami University. Police note that Eldemire had called police at 9:56 p.m. on Saturday to request that police prevent her ex-boyfriend from entering her home. The ex-boyfriend, Tipton, reportedly drove from the Columbus area uninvited to speak with Eldemire. When police arrived, Eldemire asked police to escort Tipton to her apartment. Once in the apartment, Eldemire and Tipton had a conversation in front of police officers. Following that conversation, Eldemire told police that they were no longer needed.

“At the request of Miss Eldemire, Mr. Tipton was escorted up to her apartment where they had a conversation with officers present. After a brief conversation, Miss Eldemire told officers they could leave as they were no longer needed.”

Sadly, the police were called back to the same apartment hours later after suite mates reported hearing loud bangs and a smoke alarm coming from Eldemire’s room. The call came in at 8:45 a.m., just 11 hours after Eldemire had initially called police for assistance. When police entered Eldemire’s room, they found her and Tipton dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

The Daily Mail notes that Eldemire was a double-major in geography and geographical information systems. She had also spent a previous summer teaching English in a remote village in Tanzania and worked in the university’s library as a student supervisor. Miami University says this is the first homicide in three decades at the university and that this is an “incredibly painful and sad time for Miami.”

To make the situation worse, Eldemire was close with Tipton’s family. Tipton’s parents, who are frequently pictured with Eldemire on their Facebook pages, are “in shock” over the horrible tragedy.

“As you can imagine, this horrible tragedy has left our family in shock and absolutely heartbroken. To lose our son, and also Becca, whom we loved like a member of our family, is unthinkable.”

Police are still investigating the deaths of Eldemire and Tipton; however, preliminary results indicate that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide carried out by Tipton. Police say that it appears Tipton shot Eldemire and then turned the gun on himself.