U.S. Marshals and Rossford Police Arrest Murder Suspect in 16-Year-Old Cold Case

Toledo, OH – At approximately noon on Saturday, members of the Rossford Police Department and the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested Adolphus Hollingsworth on charges he murdered his estranged wife in 1997.

Hollingsworth, 45, of Chattanooga, Tenn. was arrested at the Knight’s Inn Motel in Rossford and is currently in the Wood County Jail awaiting extradition to Tenn. Police allege Hollingsworth, who has a violent criminal history, murdered his wife, Victoria Hollingsworth, after she put the couple’s two young children to bed. When the children woke up the next morning, their mother was nowhere to be found. Police suspected foul play but were unable to determine if Mrs. Hollingsworth was murdered or simply missing. Finally, over a year later her body was found and marks on it indicated she had been stabbed to death.

Police investigated the case but there were few leads and eventually the case went cold. Producers from the TNT television program “Cold Justice” heard of the case and profiled Mrs. Hollingsworth’s murder. After the program aired, local police developed enough information to issue an arrest warrant for Hollingsworth who was determined to be living in Amarillo, Texas at the time. He was arrested in Texas on Friday, January 25, on charges of first degree murder, however, jail officials mistakenly released him.

Information was developed that Hollingsworth was staying at the Knight’s Inn Motel with people he knew. Rossford Police and the NOVFTF identified Hollingsworth’s car in the parking lot. Since officers didn’t know what room Hollingsworth was in, they waited for over an hour for him to enter his car. Once Hollingsworth was in the car, officers moved in and arrested Hollingsworth without incident. Rossford Police Officers took him to the Wood County Jail where he is currently awaiting extradition to Tenn.

Since the time of her murder, Mrs. Hollingsworth’s mother has passed away but her father and two children were informed of the arrest.

“You can run but you can’t hide,” said Pete Elliott, the United States Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio. “Even after sixteen long years the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, along with the continued collaboration with local law enforcement, will find you.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at: 1-866-4-WANTED or text keyword WANTED and the tip to TIP411 (847411). Tipsters may remain anonymous and a cash reward may be available. The Task Force’s “Dangerous Dozen” fugitives can be viewed at http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/oh-n/fugitives/pdf/dangerous_dozen.pdf, which is updated monthly.

The NOVFTF Toledo Division consists of the following federal, state and local agencies: Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Toledo Police Department, United States Marshals Service , Fremont Police Department, Holland Police Department , Ottawa Hills Police Department , Perrysburg Township Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.