Michelle Long

Michelle Ann Long, a 50-year-old White woman from the Salem, Ohio, area, was a beloved mother, teacher, and community mentor known for her bright smile and ability to light up a room. A dedicated educator at Leetonia High School for eight years, she taught math, STEM, and industry courses and coached the junior high robotics and track teams. She was also deeply involved in her children's lives, serving as an Advancement Coordinator for Boy Scouts Troop #6 and supporting their activities in 4-H. Friends and family remembered her as a wonderful mother, daughter, and sister who was always someone you could count on.

On the evening of November 29, 2023, Michelle returned to her home on Carey Road in Butler Township. At approximately 5:45 p.m., while sitting in her pickup truck near her mailbox, another vehicle pulled up beside her, and someone inside opened fire. Michelle was shot and killed. A neighbor reported hearing the gunshots, but Michelle was not discovered for several hours. After she failed to pick up her son, her sister, Sara Lewis, went to the home and found her deceased inside the still-idling truck. A call was made to 911 at 9:28 p.m.

The Columbiana County Sheriff's Office immediately began a homicide investigation, and suspicion soon focused on Michelle's ex-husband, William P. Long Jr. The couple had gone through a contentious divorce that was finalized about seven months before the murder. Prosecutors later revealed that just one day before the shooting, a judge had denied William's appeal of a divorce ruling that required him to pay Michelle child support, alimony, and a cash settlement.

In May 2024, a grand jury indicted William P. Long Jr., and he was arrested at his workplace. He was charged with aggravated murder, murder, and discharging a firearm upon a roadway, each with a firearm specification. He pleaded not guilty, and his case proceeded to a jury trial. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that included surveillance video from a camera on Michelle's garage that captured the fatal shooting, as well as cell phone and GPS data. A friend of William's testified that months before the murder, William had complained about the divorce settlement and said if things didn't go his way, he was "going to shoot her and let them figure it out."

On February 10, 2026, after deliberating for about an hour and a half, the jury of six men and six women found William P. Long Jr. guilty on all counts. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for aggravated murder, with an additional 17 consecutive years for the other charges and gun specifications. The judge told him that his prior threats were not "drunken rants when they become true." The case was closed with his conviction and sentencing in February 2026.