MENTOR, Ohio — A Mentor man who called the police to report that he had killed his girlfriend in a fight has his bond set at $1 million during his first court appearance Friday afternoon.
Russell Fritz, 38, faces murder charges in the death of his girlfriend, Kristen Laux, Mentor police said. Investigators found the 35-year-old Laux her home Thursday afternoon with evidence that she was beaten and stabbed to death, Mentor police said.
Fritz appeared at an arraignment hearing Friday morning before Mentor Municipal Court Judge John Trebets. He’s scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing, court records show.
Authorities released 911 calls made by Fritz following the incident.
“I killed my girlfriend,” Fritz can be heard telling a dispatcher. “I killed my girlfriend. She came at me and wouldn’t leave. I’m sorry.”
Fritz said that his girlfriend came at him and started to scream that’s when he tried to hold her down but started punching and stabbing.
“I grabbed a knife and stabbed her, so she’s dead.”