The boy, now 14, will remain in state custody until age 21 after pleading guilty to aggravated murder and related charges.
FAIRFAX, Ohio — A teenager who was 13 when his neighbor was killed inside her Fairfax home pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and strangulation, admitting he killed 64-year-old Sheila “Denise” Tenpenny in early February. The court ordered him held in the state’s Department of Youth Services until he turns 21.
Prosecutors and investigators said the admission ends a case that unsettled this small Hamilton County village for months. Tenpenny was found dead Feb. 2 in the 3900 block of Germania Street, prompting a homicide investigation led by Fairfax police with assistance from state agents. Because the defendant was younger than 14 at the time of the crime, the case remained in juvenile court. Officials said the plea allows for confinement, treatment and supervision through his 21st birthday while keeping the youth’s identity sealed under Ohio law.
Relatives discovered Tenpenny late the morning of Feb. 2 after not hearing from her, police said. Officers and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. A preliminary autopsy later found trauma to her head and neck, and the coroner ruled the death a homicide. Detectives canvassed the neighborhood along Germania Street and gathered home security video while state investigators asked the public to help identify a suspect. Fairfax police announced an arrest on Feb. 13, and prosecutors filed charges in juvenile court soon after. “Our family is living with a hole that cannot be filled,” a statement from relatives read in court said. “Denise was kind and steady, and she deserved to be safe in her own home,” the statement added.
During Monday’s hearing, Assistant Prosecutor Linda Scott said evidence showed the boy researched methods of killing for months, including online searches about strangulation and selecting a victim. Investigators said the teen targeted Tenpenny, a neighbor who lived alone, and entered her home during the overnight hours of Feb. 1 into Feb. 2. According to statements summarized in court, the youth discussed the crime on social media after the killing. The judge accepted the plea to aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and strangulation and noted that the youth’s name would not be released because of his age at the time of the offense. Officials said no other suspects are sought and that the case is considered solved.
Records show the investigation began as a “suspicious death” call before being reclassified as homicide once the coroner’s office completed its initial review. The home sits on a quiet stretch of the 3900 block of Germania Street in the village of about 1,800 residents, bordered by Madisonville and Mariemont. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation processed the house and surrounding area for fingerprints, DNA and digital evidence at Fairfax’s request. Public alerts issued the first week of February described Tenpenny as living alone and asked neighbors to share any video from late Feb. 1 to midday Feb. 2, a window that investigators later narrowed using doorbell footage and phone records.
Under Ohio law, children younger than 14 cannot be transferred to adult court, even in homicide cases, so prosecutors proceeded in juvenile court. The judge committed the teen to the Department of Youth Services until his 21st birthday and ordered programming that includes education, counseling and behavioral treatment while in custody. The court also set periodic review hearings common in serious juvenile cases. Officials said no additional charges are pending. If the youth violates rules in state custody, administrators can seek sanctions, but the court’s jurisdiction ends when he turns 21.
Family members delivered victim-impact statements at the plea hearing, some read aloud by prosecutors. “It doesn’t feel like justice,” one relative said, addressing the teen and his parents while describing Tenpenny as generous and dependable. Outside the courthouse, neighbors recalled the February search that brought police cruisers, evidence vans and state agents to their block. A neighbor who asked to be identified only as Mark said the village rallied around Tenpenny’s relatives. “She waved to everyone walking dogs,” he said. “People left flowers on her porch for weeks.” Fairfax police thanked residents who shared videos and tips that helped narrow the timeline.
As of Tuesday, the boy remained in the state’s juvenile corrections system following intake. Authorities said detectives have closed the active investigation and forwarded remaining lab work to the case file. The next routine court review was not immediately available on the docket.
Author note: Last updated November 12, 2025.