Man arrested in murders of daughter, her mother

COLUMBUS – A 24-year-old man was arrested Saturday and charged with stabbing his 4-year-old daughter and her mother to death at a Southeast Side home Friday.

Columbus police say the family of Nicole Duckson helped locate Kristopher Garrett, who was arrested during a traffic stop on Saturday and charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Duckson, 34, and her daughter, Christina.


A coworker of Duckson’s went to the home at 2776 Fleet Road to check on Duckson and found the bodies lying in the backyard and called police at approximately 9:05 a.m., Sgt. Dave Sicilian of the Homicide Unit said.

Officers and fire personnel found the two victims suffering from multiple stab wounds and bother were pronounced dead at the scene, Sicilian said.

The investigation continues.

The Ducksons were the fourth and fifth homicide victims of the year in Columbus.

Police had still not identified the victim of the year’s sixth homicide, a man found inside a running vehicle in South Linden early Saturday morning, police said.

A caller told Columbus police at 7:21 a.m. that there was a vehicle running in his driveway at 1208 E. 22nd Avenue and that someone was in the vehicle, said Sgt. Eric Pilya.

Officers found the unidentified man in the driver’s seat, dead as the result of apparent gunshot wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by Columbus fire personnel, Pilya said.

UPDATE (1/10/18 9:50 a.m.): The victim was identified as Abel H. Beyene, age 30.

There is no suspect information and Pilya says the investigation is continuing.

Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Crime Stoppers at 614-645-TIPS (8477).