Frederick L. Harroff, formerly of Columbiana, sits with his defense attorney T. Robert Bricker during his sentencing Friday for a brutal baseball attack against a woman whose home he set on fire June 2, 2025. He was sentenced to 39 years to 44 1/2 years in prison for multiple charges, included attempted murder. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON — The woman who survived a vicious attack by Frederick L. Harroff in Columbiana last June said Friday he brutally beat her with a bat, put a rope around her neck, tried to strangle her with his hands, tried to tie her hands and legs with a rope and set her home on fire, telling her she was going to die.

“An entire hour, I fought for my life,” she said.

Now Harroff will be spending what’s left of his life in prison.

Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam sentenced Harroff to at least 39 years in prison, with a possible maximum sentence of 44 1/2 years in prison if the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections decides to keep him longer.

The sentence was considerably more than the 20 to 25 1/2 years the prosecution requested.

“His conduct was truly vicious and horrific,” Washam said, saying consecutive terms were necessary in this case.

Last month, Harroff, 66, formerly of Columbiana, pleaded guilty to first-degree felonies of attempted murder, aggravated arson and kidnapping, second-degree felonies of aggravated arson and felonious assault and fourth-degree felony strangulation. Another count of felonious assault was to be dismissed. The attack happened on June 2, 2025 when he repeatedly struck the woman with a heavy wooden baseball bat over her head and body while she was laying in bed, tried to choke her, detain her and set the fire.

Washam issued a sentence of 11 years for the attempted murder, 10 years for the first-degree felony arson, five years for the second-degree felony arson, eight years for the felonious assault, five years for the kidnapping, all to be served consecutively or one after another, for the total of 39 years. The sentence for the strangulation was 12 months, but to be served at the same time as the other charges. He also designated him an arson offender for life required to register if he ever gets out of prison. Harroff received credit for 288 days served since his arrest and was advised of his right to appeal.

Washam said he considered everything in the record, the statement, the police reports, the forensic evaluation, the defendant’s military service in the U.S. Air Force, his 30 years as a diesel mechanic, his mental health, his suicide attempts and his lack of a criminal record.

“Unfortunately that changed dramatically on June 2, 2025,” Washam said.

He recounted that Harroff had been drinking and Harroff claimed that he took prescription medication, that he couldn’t remember what happened. He talked about how Harroff threatened to kill the victim and damaged the gas meter and set the fire, furniture was moved to restrict escape and he fled, found by a police K-9. The victim suffered serious injuries.

Washam said that Harroff claimed he likes a simple life, but he continued contacting the victim after he was in jail and continued making threats.

“The judge’s sentence reflected the seriousness of the conduct,” county Assistant Prosecutor Alec Beech said after the hearing.

He thanked the Columbiana Police Department, especially Det. Sgt. Richard Whitfield, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office for their investigations.

“We hope today provides some closure to the victim and her family,” Beech said.

He and county Chief Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Weikart handled the prosecution. Defense attorney T. Robert Bricker represented Harroff, asking the judge for mercy for his client.

“We are not looking to diminish the severity of what has happened. He has not victim blamed. He’s already accepted responsibility. He was never sure of what happened,” Bricker said.

Bricker gave some background about Harroff’s life, his terrible childhood and childhood trauma, his four suicide attempts and severe mental issues. He said anyone he talked to said this event was totally out of character for him.

One of Harroff’s friends appeared via Zoom to support him, saying she had known him for 20 years and couldn’t believe it when she heard what happened, saying he’s always been kind and never been violent. She said she couldn’t imagine what happened to make him violent. She knew about his mental illness and said the victim sent newspaper clippings to everyone he knew so they would know what happened to her. She said he’s never been anything but kind and always willing to help, saying “something flipped a switch.”

“I know he’s deeply, deeply sorry for what he’s done,” she said.

Another Harroff supporter was in the courtroom and she spoke, saying he is a very easy going person and always treated her with respect. She quoted Proverbs 14 and said her friend Fred fears the Lord and wants to start going to church. She asked the court to give him a second chance.

Harroff addressed the court, saying he liked the simple things, a simple life and grew up old school, he worked hard and he was a disabled veteran. He said he was a giver always helping people.

In speaking about the woman he attacked, he said he was sorry, that he never hurt anybody in his life and “I never wanted to see her hurt.”

“I take responsibility for everything that happened that night. I don’t remember all that happened,” he said apologizing to her, her family, his friends and family and all the firefighters and police officers. “I was not in my right mind.”

Beech told the judge the seriousness of the case was on the high end and so was the recidivism factor considering that after his arrest, Harroff continued to send threatening letters to the victim from jail.

“I don’t think there’s any sentence the court could impose that could make her life whole again,” Beech said.

The victim when she spoke went into great detail about what happened the night of June 2, 2025 after going to bed at 10 p.m., saying her life hasn’t been the same since. Harroff told her he was taking a bottle of pills, left and then came back and said, “I have nothing to live for, you’re not going to live either. I’m going to burn this place down and we’re both going to die.”

The attack lasted not for minutes, she said, but for an entire hour. She also said it was premeditated, saying he sent messages that afternoon to his siblings to say he loved them. She was bruised and bloody all over her body and she managed to escape out a back door to the neighbor’s and he fled.

She described everything he took from her, her home and everything in it, and he hurt her physically, emotionally and financially. She hasn’t seen her grandchildren in over a year. They live out of state and she can’t travel. She couldn’t video chat with them due to how her face looked for months. She talked about an ex of his and how he destroyed her property about 15 years ago. She read from some of the letters he sent to her from jail, telling her she better keep looking over her shoulder.

“He is an evil, cruel, malicious monster,” the survivor said. “He has shown no remorse.”

Her niece and her sister also spoke about what Harroff did to her both that night and the affect after, the betrayal of someone she trusted, the act of cruelty when he burned the house. Her niece talked about all the support she received from her aunt while she was growing up and how she told her at the hospital, “I’ll be okay.”

The house destroyed had been her refuge and also meant a lot to the family because it was her mother’s home and he knew that.

“As a family, we have watched her struggle to heal. This is something that can never be undone,” her niece said, but she also added. “He did not win. He did not break her and he did not break us.”

Her sister also talked about that night, about the physical damage and emotional damage, about but also said, “He failed. The love she has for her family kept her fighting.”