Columbus, Ohio: Nathaniel Wilkins to Face Murder Charge After Sara Estep Dies Weeks After Bathtub Attack in North Linden

A Columbus man who was already facing assault charges will also face a murder charge after his girlfriend died more than a month after she was brought to a hospital with severe burns and bruising, Columbus police said in a news release reported by The Columbus Dispatch. Nathaniel Wilkins, 51, brought Sara Estep, 53, to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center on September 5, and she died from her injuries on October 16, police said.

The Franklin County Coroner's Office notified police on October 21 that Estep died by homicide, according to the release. Wilkins was first charged with felonious assault and was later indicted on strangulation and domestic violence charges. As a result of the coroner's ruling, he will also face a murder charge, police said. That charge had not been officially filed as of October 28, the Dispatch reported.

A warning in June

Months before the September attack, a witness called police for a wellbeing check on the couple, the Dispatch reported on October 28, after reviewing police records. The caller said Wilkins had dragged Estep and flung her into a chair by the pharmacy at the Giant Eagle store at 2801 North High Street, in the Clintonville neighborhood, at about 4:30 p.m. on June 16, according to police records.

Columbus police responded to the couple's home on the 1600 block of Arlington Avenue in North Linden, but got no answer at the door, the records show. No charges were filed at that time.

September 5 at the hospital

On September 5, Wilkins brought Estep to Grant Medical Center with severe burns and bruising on her legs, stomach and neck, according to court records cited by the Dispatch. Medical staff told police Wilkins was answering questions for her. Estep first told staff she had fallen in the bathtub at the home, according to a Columbus police report. Staff asked her again after Wilkins went to the lobby, and she said Wilkins had beaten her and put her in a bathtub full of hot water. Staff then moved her to a different room so Wilkins would not be able to find her, according to the report.

Estep told detectives Wilkins had pushed her after she refused to get into a bathtub with water that was too hot, according to court records. She said he put his hands around her neck, forcing her into the water, and she lost consciousness during the attack. Police observed severe burns to her face, chest and throat, as well as bruising on her throat, stomach and legs, according to a probable cause affidavit. She was transferred to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center because of her burns, and she died there more than five weeks later.

A seat on the North Linden Area Commission

Wilkins is a member of the North Linden Area Commission, where he has served as a neighborhood advocate focused on housing and property improvements, and his current term runs through December 2027, MyColumbusPower reported. He pleaded not guilty to the felonious assault charge in September, the station reported. Commission Chair Carol Perkins offered condolences to Estep's family but declined further comment because the case is ongoing, and Columbus officials said they are working with the City Attorney's Office to address Wilkins's status through the legal process, MyColumbusPower reported.

Wilkins is charged, not convicted, and the murder charge described by police had not been formally filed as of October 28. The case will move through Franklin County court.