Summit County murder suspect had two prior arrests for threatening to kill woman
Adam Richardson, 41, faces murder, rape and felonious assault charges after victim Amy Hollingsworth died in December 2025. Records reveal a lengthy history of domestic violence.
Uniontown man charged with murder had history of domestic threats, court records show
Adam Richardson, 41, of Uniontown, Ohio, was already known to courts and police for repeatedly threatening to kill a former partner before he was charged with the rape and murder of 48-year-old Amy Hollingsworth Berkhouse, cleveland19.com reports.
Richardson faces charges of murder, rape and felonious assault in connection with a sexual assault reported on 30 August 2025. Investigators say Hollingsworth called 911 that day to report she had been beaten and raped by Richardson, who choked her and punched her in the head several times. She was taken to hospital for treatment.
Eight days later, she was readmitted after suffering a stroke from a blood clot that travelled to her spine, leaving her paralysed. She died on 16 December 2025. The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a homicide, concluding it resulted from complications of a spinal cord stroke caused by being strangled and struck in the head.
Prosecutors authorised criminal charges against Richardson on 27 May 2026. A search warrant executed at his home on Briarwood Way in Uniontown led to the recovery of electronics, illegal narcotics and cash. Richardson was arrested and booked into Summit County Jail. He pleaded not guilty on Friday and his bond was set at $2 million. He told the court he is preparing for "the fight of my life." The case will proceed to a Summit County grand jury.
A pattern of prior arrests
A background investigation by 19 Investigates uncovered a series of domestic-related arrests stretching back to 2020. Court records show Richardson was arrested for domestic violence in April 2020 and later pleaded guilty to assault. In July 2020 he was arrested for violating a protection order, and in September 2020 he was arrested again on domestic violence and protection order violations. He pleaded guilty to the domestic violence charge and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended.
In May 2022, Akron Police responded to a burglary call at the home of Richardson's then ex-girlfriend. The 31-year-old told officers she had been watching his two dogs because he had "relapsed on crack cocaine" and that "once he's on drugs he does things that could harm people or animals." She believed Richardson had broken into her home while she was away. He was charged with burglary, but a grand jury declined to indict him.
Two days later, on 22 May 2022, the same woman reported to the Summit County Sheriff's Office that Richardson had assaulted her while she was driving on State Route 224 in Coventry Township. According to investigators, Richardson, seated in the passenger seat, told her "I will kill us both" before grabbing the steering wheel and causing the vehicle to crash into a concrete barrier. He fled the scene and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was initially charged with felonious assault and criminal damaging, but a Summit County grand jury returned only a misdemeanour indictment for aggravated menacing. The case was remanded to Barberton Municipal Court, where the charge was later dismissed.
On 13 August 2022, Richardson called Akron Police for a welfare check, claiming someone had broken into his ex-girlfriend's home. Officers spoke with the woman, who told them she was fine and that Richardson was harassing her. According to police, after she ignored his calls, Richardson sent threatening text messages. The incident report states that "Adam texted her stating that he was going to kill her" and that "based on his prior behavior, she fears that he will carry out on his threat." Richardson was charged with aggravated menacing and telephone harassment.
In September 2023, he pleaded guilty to telephone harassment; the aggravated menacing charge was dismissed. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to complete a residential treatment programme. Court records indicate it was through this treatment that he came to know Amy Hollingsworth.
In April 2024, Richardson was charged with contempt of court and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Those charges were later dismissed, but his probation was terminated and he was sentenced to 60 days of house arrest.
Victim remembered as educator and animal lover
Amy Hollingsworth was a mother with a deep love for animals. She owned Green Family Pets and Boarding in Uniontown and held a doctorate in curricular and instructional studies with a concentration in STEM education. According to her obituary, she attended Norton Schools and graduated in 1995.
Attorney Elizabeth Jackson, who is representing Hollingsworth's family, said on Friday that "no kind of family should have to experience this kind of pain and such a violent loss." Jackson also conveyed the family's appreciation for law enforcement's work on the case: "The family wants to communicate they are grateful to law enforcement in this case," she said.
Source: Irish Independent