Authorities in New York have determined the cause and manner of death of a fitness instructor who was discovered dead with cuts to his legs and face inside his Manhattan apartment in August.
Jacob Zieben-Hood, 34, was found in the bathroom of his apartment on August 1 by his husband, Donald Zieben-Hood, with multiple stab wounds to his legs, according to the NYPD.
Donald, a 40-year-old model, was indicted on October 1 on several charges, including burglary and assault, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. He has not been charged in connection with Jacob’s death.
On Friday, October 17, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner announced that Jacob’s death has been ruled a homicide. The cause was determined to be multiple blunt and sharp force injuries.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the DA’s office alleged that Jacob messaged his father on the evening of July 31, claiming Donald was assaulting him.
Jacob allegedly told his father that Donald had “attacked, beat, and sliced him,” and sent photos of his injuries showing a gash on his leg and his face “covered in blood from a large wound on his head,” according to the statement.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1044x341:1046x343):format(webp)/Don-Hood-and-Jacob-Zieben-kentucky-derby-party-101725-a5dbea160317478399aa46ce02c9f5e2.jpg)
Around 4 a.m. on August 1, Donald allegedly called police and said he found Jacob dead in the bathroom, slumped over the toilet with wounds and cuts on his legs and head.
Responding officers reportedly found the apartment in disarray, with blood on the furniture, walls, floors, and counters, according to the DA’s office.
Investigators also learned that Donald had previously been accused of assaulting Jacob on at least two other occasions earlier in the year, violating a protective order both times.
During one of those incidents, in June, Donald allegedly threatened to kill Jacob with a knife, according to the DA’s office.
As of the October 1 indictment, Donald has been charged with two counts of burglary, assault, criminal contempt, and criminal possession of a weapon. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, online court records show.
It remains unclear whether additional charges will be filed. The NYPD has not provided an update. Court records do not list attorney information for Donald.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or visit thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline operates 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
