Jasmine Blake, a 32-year-old University of Cincinnati nursing student, was acquitted of murder but convicted on two felonious assault counts in the Feb. 1 death of her girlfriend, Diamond Rice. Blake says she shot Rice while being strangled and acted in self-defense; prosecutors say her 911 call and medical evidence do not support that claim and presented cellphone videos showing Blake striking Rice. The mixed verdict was returned on Sept. 25; Blake faces five to 11 years in prison and is due for sentencing on Oct. 29.
Mixed Verdict: UC Nursing Student Acquitted Of Murder But Convicted On Assault Charges
Jasmine Blake appears in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court during her murder trial on Sept. 24, 2026.
A Hamilton County jury on Sept. 25 returned a mixed verdict in the case of Jasmine Blake, a 32-year-old University of Cincinnati nursing student. Jurors acquitted Blake of murder in the Feb. 1 death of her girlfriend, Diamond Rice, but convicted her on two counts of felonious assault arising from the same incident.
Case Background
Blake and Rice met in 2023 in Baltimore. After Blake was accepted into the University of Cincinnati's nurse anesthesia program, she moved to the Cincinnati area; Rice moved to Cincinnati several months later. Prosecutors say Rice died after a dispute in the couple's Walnut Hills apartment on Feb. 1.
Jasmine Blake appears in Hamilton County Municipal Court for an arraignment on Feb. 2, 2026.
What The Defense Says
Blake's attorney, Clyde Bennett II, said Blake shot Rice while being attacked and strangled and acted in self-defense because she reasonably believed her life was in danger. Bennett described Blake as a survivor of intimate partner violence and said she called 911, attempted first aid, cooperated with police and did not flee the scene.
Bennett called the verdict legally erroneous and emphasized that, in his view, the shooting was an act of self-defense.
What The Prosecution Says
Prosecutors disputed Blake's account, noting that her 911 call and initial statements to officers made no mention of strangulation and that investigators found no physical signs of ongoing strangulation. Assistant Prosecutor Charles Lippert said the strangulation claims and allegations of past abuse were fabricated while Blake awaited trial.
Jasmine Blake appears in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court for her murder trial on Sept. 24, 2026.
Prosecutors also introduced secret cellphone videos recorded by Rice. Those clips, they said, show Blake repeatedly striking Rice over the head with a gun and pushing Rice up against a bedroom wall before firing. Assistant Prosecutor Jordan Cruse argued the evidence supported a theory of deliberate, fatal violence rather than a lawful act of self-defense.
Verdict And Next Steps
The jury cleared Blake of murder charges but found her guilty on both felonious assault counts. Legal observers say mixed or compromise verdicts sometimes reflect jurors split over whether the most serious charge is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jasmine Blake looks back at her family as she awaits opening statements in her trial in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on Sept. 16, 2026.
Bennett said Blake intends to appeal the assault convictions. She faces an Ohio prison term estimated at five to 11 years. Blake is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 29 before Judge Alison Hatheway.
If an appellate court orders a retrial, prosecutors would be barred from retrying Blake on the murder charge because of the acquittal; any new proceeding could address only the felonious assault convictions.
Context
Throughout the trial Blake wore a purple ribbon, a symbol associated with domestic violence awareness. The case has drawn attention to complex legal and factual questions about self-defense claims, domestic abuse allegations, and how juries weigh partial evidence such as short video clips and inconsistent statements.
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