Lorain murder details revealed

Suspect allegedly strangled young mom, used her car, bank account later

... he confronted Hoholski in the apartment, grabbed her, pushed her into the bedroom and choked her until she was “sleeping” ...

LORAIN — Murder suspect Albert Fine told police that he choked victim Catherine Hoholski on June 28 until she was “sleeping.”

The attack came as he confronted her in their Lorain apartment over an alleged affair, according to court documents.

Fine is facing charges of murder, aggravated murder and kidnapping.

The documents are part of prosecutors’ effort to extradite Fine from Kentucky, where he was arrested Aug. 9, and bring him back to Lorain for trial.

Fine, 30, said that he hid the body of Hoholski, 26, in a storage locker at their apartment building at 2102 Tower Blvd. in Lorain. Afterward, he drove Hoholski’s car to Midway Mall where he left it. Fine also said he sent text messages to various people using her phone and posing as her after her death, according to the affadavit by Lorain detective Christopher Kovach.

Hoholski’s parents filed a missing persons report on her in early July, but her body was not discovered until Aug. 8 after neighbors at the apartment building had complained of a stench. Fine was arrested the next day.

Hoholski and Fine have a baby girl, Jasmine Rose, who was born 16 weeks prematurely on March 2. Jasmine remained in the hospital for months after her birth.

According to the affadavit, Fine said he confronted Hoholski in the apartment, grabbed her, pushed her into the bedroom and choked her until she was “sleeping,” the affidavit states,

Fine then bound Hoholski’s wrists behind her back with sex toy handcuffs, bound her ankles with a belt and placed a bandana around her mouth so she wouldn’t scream.

Hoholski broke the handcuffs and struggled, so Fine choked her again while they were on the floor and struck her several times, he told Kovach.

According to affidavit, five withdrawals were made from Hoholski’s bank account from June 29 to July 9 and ATM photos showed Fine making the withdrawals.

Text messages from her phone and postings on her Facebook account were made July 3 to July 19, with her mother doubting they were from her, the affidavit said.

When police spoke to Fine by phone on July 19, he said the couple broke up June 27 and he had not seen her since, though they spoke June 28 and she said she left him for another person, the affidavit said.

A Fayette County, Ky., judge has already cleared the way for Fine to be extradited when the paperwork arrives. Prosecutor Dennis Will said he hopes Lorain police will be able to pick up Fine in the next week or so.

The Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office mailed the application for the governor’s warrant to Gov. John Kasich’s office.

Once Kasich gets the request, he will forward it to Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear. Beshear will then forward it to Fayette County District Court to file for the extradition of Fine, who was arrested Lexington.

The information that the prosecutor’s office sent on Fine includes criminal complaints, probable cause affidavit and an arrest warrant. Lorain police Lt. Mark Carpentiere and detectives Kovach, Kurt Graupmann, Orlando Perez and Brian Denman will be appointed as agents to the state to bring Fine back to Ohio, according to Will.

Fine appeared before Fayette District Court Judge Megan Thornton last Thursday for an extradition hearing and she ruled evidence is sufficient proving that Fine is the subject of a warrant for the murder of Hoholski, said Jason Rothrock, director of criminal prosecution for Fayette County Attorney’s Office.

Fine