A married man in Ohio was charged with murder on Tuesday after he did not disclose he was HIV-positive to his longtime girlfriend and she subsequently died of AIDS, reported the Associated Press.
51-year-old Ronald Murdock’s bail was set at $1.5 million for his part in the February death of Kimberly Klempner, 51.
Murdock, who is married, engaged in an affair Klempner wherein the couple had unprotected sex. Although Murdock knew he was HIV-positive, he did not inform Klempner during their five-year relationship, said Klempner’s son, Josh.
Under Ohio law, people with HIV are required to disclose their status to sexual partners.
Josh Klempner told WTVG-TV that his mother learned she was HIV-positive in 2015, but that when she told Murdock, he didn’t seem to care.
“My mother found out about some pills he had. She stayed the night at his house one night and she felt something was up. She did some snooping and ran across a few pill bottles. She did a little research on them and found out that way,” Josh Klempner told WTVG.
According to police, Murdock’s wife found out he was having an affair and informed Klempner that her husband was diagnosed with HIV.
“By the time she found out and by the time everything was said and done, it was way too late,” said Josh Klempner.
Klempner’s official cause of death was listed as AIDS. For Josh, his mother’s death did not need to happen and he’s disappointed Murdock did not act responsibly.
“She would have done anything for that man,” Josh Klempner said. “And for him not to come out in the beginning and tell her what was going on was not right.”