David Callaghan: Martha Freitag Murder, Guilty Plea and Life Sentence

David Callaghan is an Akron, Ohio man who pleaded guilty to the August 2018 murder of his girlfriend, Martha Robin Freitag, after beating her to death and burying her body in a backyard fire pit. He was sentenced on May 6, 2019, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 18 years.¹

What Happened to Martha Freitag

Freitag, 53, lived with Callaghan on the 600 block of Crouse Street in Akron’s Middlebury neighborhood. Prosecutors said Callaghan beat her to death on or around August 6, 2018, buried her remains in a shallow grave inside the fire pit behind the house, and burned her possessions.²¹

Freitag’s daughter had been unable to reach her mother since July 31, 2018, and formally reported her missing on September 5. She told police she feared Callaghan, whom she described as abusive, had “done something to her.”³¹

Family Members Found the Body

Freitag’s relatives went to the Crouse Street property themselves. On September 13, 2018, they spotted a pile of loose dirt beneath ash inside the backyard fire pit. Her cousin, Angela Nottingham, pulled out a scrap of burnt paper with the word “Jahovah” typed on it. The family knew Freitag would never have allowed her Bible to be burned, so they kept digging through the ash and found her remains.⁴

Callaghan was charged with murder two days later, on September 15, 2018.¹

Guilty Plea

Callaghan’s case was set for trial in March 2019 in Summit County Common Pleas Court. On the day trial was to begin, the proceeding was converted to a status hearing, and he pleaded guilty to four charges: murder, tampering with evidence, gross abuse of a corpse, and first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence.²

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dismissed two additional murder charges filed under a different section of Ohio law and one count of felonious assault.¹²

Sentence

Judge Alison Breaux sentenced Callaghan on May 6, 2019, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 18 years. Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said in a statement that Callaghan “inflicted torture and an incredible amount of pain on the Freitag family,” that he “murdered Martha Freitag, then buried her and burned all of her possessions,” and that he “deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars.”¹

Who Martha Freitag Was

Freitag was 53 when she was killed. She had been close with Callaghan’s own family for more than 15 years. His sister, Pam Steely, called her “like part of the family” and a “very loving person” who was “always smiling,” and remembered her love of home improvement projects like sewing curtains and painting rooms. Steely also said Freitag had confided about arguments with Callaghan, describing how he would get “really mad” and “in her face,” though Freitag had not explicitly reported physical abuse.⁵

1
Cleveland.com. Akron Man Sentenced to Life for Killing Girlfriend, Burying Her in Backyard
2
Akron Beacon Journal. Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Girlfriend, Burying Her in Backyard
3
FOX19. Bond Set for Akron Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend, Burying Her Body in Backyard
4
Akron Beacon Journal. Missing Woman’s Boyfriend Charged With Murder
5
News 5 Cleveland. Friends and Family Gather to Remember Martha Robin Freitag