A fitness model, Donald Zieben-Hood, 40, is under investigation for the murder of his husband, Jacob Zieben-Hood, 34, a personal trainer who was found dead in their Harlem apartment. The night before his death, Jacob had a heated argument with Donald and made a distressing phone call to his father, expressing fear that his allegedly abusive partner was threatening him, according to prosecutors.
Jacob was discovered dead in their apartment’s bathroom on Friday, his body bearing multiple stab wounds. The couple, who often shared glamorous photos on their social media accounts, had a history of domestic violence allegations dating back to 2022. Donald, who had repeatedly violated court protection orders, was arrested on a burglary charge and is being held without bail.
Neighbors and court records paint a picture of a volatile relationship between the couple. “They fought all the time, I would hear it,” said Craig Wesley, 44, a neighbor in their building. Jacob, who was studying to become a doctor, had called his father the night before his death, expressing fear that Donald was threatening him and preventing him from leaving their apartment.
Jacob also sent his father a photo of his injured leg. Court documents reveal that during the phone call, Jacob’s father could hear Donald yelling at his son and using derogatory language. When police arrived at the scene, they found Jacob slumped over the toilet, covered in blood with multiple stab wounds, including a deep cut on the back of his calf that had penetrated the muscle.
Donald, who had several cuts on his arms, told police that he and Jacob had a knife fight the night before. He claimed that he fell asleep after the altercation and woke up to find Jacob dead. Despite his successful modeling career and large social media following, prosecutors argue that Donald was engaged in a pattern of escalating abuse against Jacob.
Police records show nine domestic incident reports between the couple since 2022. Donald was arrested in 2024 for allegedly hitting Jacob in the head with an object, leading to a protection order. He was arrested again in February for allegedly strangling Jacob during an argument in their apartment. Despite prosecutors’ request for a $20,000 bail, a judge set it at $5,000.
In a subsequent incident, police responding to a 911 call found Jacob with a bleeding forehead wound. Both Jacob and Donald claimed that Jacob had fallen and hit his head. Donald was arrested once more in June after allegedly threatening Jacob with a kitchen knife. Despite prosecutors’ request for a $30,000 bail, it was set at $5,000.
Donald was charged with first-degree burglary, weapons possession, and aggravated criminal contempt for violating the protection orders. His bail was denied as medical examiners work to determine Jacob’s cause of death, a crucial step towards potential homicide charges.
Wesley, the neighbor, noted that the couple’s fights had intensified around the holiday season, leading him to call the police in June. He woke up to a commotion in the building on Friday and saw emergency medical technicians in the couple’s apartment. “I knew something bad was going to happen,” he said. “The way they fought, it was going to end badly.”