LISBON, OH – A quiet community in northeastern Ohio has been gripped by a tragic murder case that ended Monday with the conviction of a man accused of killing his ex-wife despite his denials from the witness stand.
Jurors in Columbiana County needed less than 90 minutes to unanimously convict William P. Long Jr., 51, of aggravated murder and other related charges. The case stemmed from the fatal shooting of 50-year-old Michelle Lewis Long, who was attacked outside her home late last November. Judge Megan Bickerton, presiding at the Common Pleas Court, handed down a life sentence without parole, closing the file on one of the region’s most closely watched trials in recent memory.
The murder occurred after what authorities described as a bitter fallout between the former spouses. Their divorce had resulted in Michelle receiving full custody of their teenage son, substantial financial support, and multiple properties—settlements prosecutors argued created motive and fueled months of threatening messages and heated arguments.
In the months leading up to her death, Michelle, a beloved math and STEM educator at Leetonia High School, voiced fears for her safety. She had even recorded a video prior to her death where Long threatened, “I will kill you,” highlighting a pattern of intimidation that family and friends testified about during the trial.
Throughout proceedings, prosecutors presented a succession of texts and recorded outbursts in which Long blamed his ex-wife for personal tragedies, cursed her, and issued thinly veiled threats. One acquaintance told the jury that Long had outright announced his intention to “shoot her and let them figure it out.” Long and his defense team insisted these were the ramblings of a drunken man, not the premeditations of a killer. Judge Bickerton, however, made clear that threats taking shape in reality were far from idle talk.
On November 29, 2023, Michelle’s last day unfolded with routine simplicity—teaching at her high school, meeting a divorce attorney, grabbing dinner, picking up a television, and finally, stopping by her mailbox at 5:45 p.m. Surveillance cameras recorded the crucial moments as she pulled up in her red truck. Simultaneously, a dark-colored pickup with distinctive chrome accents pulled alongside her, a flash appeared on screen, and in an instant, Michelle lost her life to a single shot.
Investigators quickly pieced together the timeline. Earlier that afternoon, Long was at the same high school to pick up their son. Video evidence documented his movements as he transferred items between vehicles before leaving the school grounds. Notably, Long owned several vehicles, including a white truck used that day and a dark blue pickup later seen at his girlfriend’s residence.
Cell phone data indicated Long’s phone remained stationary outside his girlfriend’s house during the critical window when the shooting occurred, but prosecutors argued this only lent credence to premeditated actions. Matching physical evidence tied Long to the weapon—a .44 caliber Ruger revolver—which was traced through ammunition found in his possession and vehicles, despite Long’s claims that he had sold the gun prior to the attack.
The prosecution hammered home that such violence was unthinkable in the county and that Michelle, simply checking her mail, could not have been a random target. The defense maintained Long’s innocence throughout, arguing that circumstantial evidence and angry rants did not amount to proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Yet, the jury found the chain of events, from escalating threats to the forensic ties to the murder weapon, left little room for uncertainty. With the verdict, Long faces the remainder of his life behind bars, and a once-peaceful community is left mourning a devoted teacher and mother lost to a crime that shook the very core of Columbiana County.