A Hamilton County judge sentenced 19-year-old Ajani Grimes to 25 to 29 years in jail on Tuesday after pleading guilty to the murder of 47-year-old Laura Schueler on June 7, 2025. Schueler, a transgender woman, was discovered dead on a sidewalk off Jonathan Avenue in Cincinnati’s Evanston area. During the hearing, the courtroom was crowded with family and friends, including one lifelong acquaintance who told Grimes, “I hope you rot in hell.” The judge ordered that Grimes be given credit after nearly a year in jail.
Grimes agreed to involuntary manslaughter, discharge of a handgun, kidnapping, and a weapons charge in a plea agreement, and the judge sentenced him to 25 to 29 years in prison, according to WKRC. Prosecutors said other counts were dropped as part of the settlement, and the sentence included Grimes’ previous robbery-related charges. The plea avoided a trial entirely and moved the case directly to sentencing.
During the hearing, prosecutors told the court that a gunshot casing seized from an October 2024 robbery was linked to casings found where Schueler was killed, establishing a crucial link between the two instances. WLWT reported on the link and the fact that Grimes was out on bond at the time, while WCPO verified Grimes cutting off an electronic ankle monitor in April 2025. According to court records, he was previously accused of robbery and felonious assault.
Schueler was regarded by family and friends as a generous, vocal person who loved animals and advocated for those in the LGBTQ community. Cousin Geno Griffith told the judge, “Laura will never be forgotten,” and close friend Martez Meadows stared straight at Grimes and said, “I hope you rot in hell,” according to WLWT. According to family members, the sentencing provides some closure while falling well short of addressing the void left by Schueler’s death.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the initial counts, allowing Grimes to plead to the stated offenses and continue directly to sentencing, according to WKRC. When computing Grimes’ prison sentence, the judge took into account the almost a year he had previously served. The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.
The case originally gained traction when Grimes was arrested last summer, and an article titled Teen Charged With Murder in Trans Woman’s Death described the initial arrest and $2 million bond. Grimes is anticipated to be moved to the state prison system to fulfill his sentence, while Schueler’s family continues to seek answers regarding how pretrial monitoring and supervision were handled.
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