Donald Zieben-Hood is being held without bail after police say he killed his husband in their Harlem apartment following a history of violent domestic disputes.
Donald Zieben-Hood (left) and Jacob Zieben-Hood (right) – Photos: Instagram
Jacob Zieben-Hood, a 34-year-old gay personal trainer, was found dead on August 1 in the Harlem apartment he shared with his model husband, following what police say was a violent altercation between the two. Authorities allege Donald Zieben-Hood, 40, stabbed his husband multiple times before leaving him seated on the bathroom toilet.
According to the New York Post, Jacob suffered multiple gashes to his head and several stab wounds to the back of his leg, including one to his calf that severed an artery and caused him to bleed to death.
Donald Zieben-Hood was arraigned on Sunday, August 3, on charges of first-degree burglary, weapon possession, and aggravated criminal contempt for violating two orders of protection that barred him from the apartment the couple shared.
He is being held without bail while an autopsy is conducted to determine whether Jacob’s death will be ruled a homicide — a finding required before prosecutors can pursue murder or manslaughter charges.
According to prosecutors, Donald — who was treated with stitches for several cuts on his arms — told police he’d had a knife fight with Jacob in their apartment around 7 p.m. on July 31. He claimed he fell asleep afterward and woke around 4 a.m. to find Jacob dead, at which point he called 911.
In court, Manhattan prosecutors said Jacob called his father on Thursday night, telling him that his husband was “coming after him” and was preventing him from leaving their apartment. He also sent his father a photo of his wounded leg.
Prosecutors said Jacob’s father heard Donald yelling at his son and calling him “derogatory names” while they were on the phone.
Donald, a successful model with nearly 68,000 Instagram followers, often posted photos from fashion shoots, runway shows, celebrity encounters, and images of him and Jacob on vacation or in intimate moments.
Neighbors told reporters that despite the glamorous image the Zieben-Hoods projected on social media, the couple fought constantly, and police recorded at least nine domestic incident reports involving them since 2022.
Last year, Donald allegedly hit Jacob in the head with an unspecified “object,” prompting a judge to issue an order of protection against him.
According to the Post, Donald was arrested in February for allegedly strangling Jacob twice over two days. The New York Daily News reported that Jacob lost consciousness during the first incident and suffered swelling, pain, and facial cuts during the second.
A judge later set Donald’s bail at $5,000, despite prosecutors requesting $20,000. A month later, police responded to a 911 call about a domestic dispute and found Jacob with a bleeding gash on his forehead. Both men claimed he had fallen and hit his head.
Donald was arrested again on June 14 for allegedly threatening Jacob with a kitchen knife. He was accused of violating the existing order of protection, and his bail was set again at $5,000, despite prosecutors requesting $30,000, according to court records.
“They fought all the time,” Craig Wesley, a neighbor, told the Post, noting the arguments had escalated in recent months and prompted him to call police in June. He said he awoke to a commotion around 4 a.m. on August 1 and saw EMTs at the scene.
“I knew something bad was gonna happen,” Wesley said. “The way they fought, it was going to end badly.”
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