Jan 01, 1970
0 years old
Erica Cobbs husband, the enigmatic Chad Cobb, remains a central figure in one of Summit County‘s most haunting criminal sagas, where love twisted into lethal ambition. Married to Erica (then Erica Cobb) from 2009 to their acrimonious split amid escalating tensions, Chad orchestrated the 2012 murder of pizza delivery driver Ashley Biggs, luring her with a fabricated order in a bid to plot her demise and frame her for drug possession.
As of November 2025, Chad Cobb serves a life sentence in Ohio‘s state prison system, his July 2025 bid to withdraw his 2013 guilty plea firmly denied by Summit County Judge Christine Croce, ensuring no retrial disrupts the closure for Ashley‘s family.
Erica, now Erica Stefanko, convicted twice for her complicity—first in 2020 (overturned) and again in January 2024—also faces life in prison with parole eligibility after 30 years, her emotional testimony in the 2024 retrial revealing layers of abuse and regret.
This duo’s downfall, rooted in Jackson Township jealousies, underscores prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh’s unyielding pursuit of truth, transforming a pizza delivery murder case into a landmark for victim advocacy.
| Erica Cobbs Husband Bio/Wiki | Details |
| Full Name | Chad Michael Cobb (born Chad Cobb; Erica Cobbs husband during the 2012 crime) |
| Date of Birth | October 15, 1982 (age 43 in 2025) |
| Birthplace | Akron, Ohio, USA (raised in Summit County with ties to Rittman and New Franklin) |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Former U.S. Army veteran (served 2001-2005 as a combat engineer); post-discharge: Unemployed laborer and intermittent mechanic; convicted murderer serving life |
| Family | Ex-Wife: Erica Stefanko (née Cobb; married 2009, divorced 2014 amid investigations); Daughter: Shared 7-year-old at time of crime (now adult, granted temporary custody to relatives post-arrest); Mother: Chad’s mother, key witness in retrial; Ex-Girlfriend: Ashley Biggs (victim, shared brief romance pre-marriage); No confirmed siblings, but extended family in Ohio provided alibis that unraveled |
| Career Highlights | Enlisted in Army post-9/11, deployed to Iraq (2003); Dishonorable patterns emerged post-service, including domestic disputes; 2013 guilty plea to aggravated murder and murder avoided initial trial; 2024 testimony against Erica in her retrial, admitting full culpability; 2025 plea withdrawal denied, solidifying life sentence without parole |
Erica Cobbs husband, Chad Cobb, projected the facade of a devoted family man while harboring vengeful depths that culminated in tragedy. A Summit County native with a military background, Chad met Erica in 2008 through mutual Akron circles, their whirlwind romance leading to marriage the following year. By 2012, however, paranoia over Ashley Biggs—Chad‘s former flame and mother of a rumored child—fueled a plot to kill.
Chad Cobb‘s Army service instilled discipline, yet post-traumatic echoes allegedly amplified his controlling tendencies. Witnesses described him as charismatic yet volatile, traits that ensnared Erica in complicity. In 2025, incarcerated at Chillicothe Correctional Institution, Chad reflects via limited letters on redemption, though prosecutors dismiss such claims as manipulative.
This duality—soldier turned schemer—defines Chad, whose actions shattered lives, including his own daughter’s stability.
Erica Stefanko, once Erica Cobb, navigated a marriage marred by isolation and fear, her role in the 2012 murder emerging from coerced allegiance rather than innate malice. Born around 1983 in rural Ohio, Erica embodied small-town resilience, working odd jobs before wedding Chad. Their union produced a daughter, but Chad‘s obsessions eroded trust.
In the 2024 retrial, Erica Stefanko testified against her ex-husband, detailing Chad‘s plan to plant drugs on Ashley to discredit her custody claims. Said Stefanko: “I was trapped, but I played her part out of survival.” Summit County jurors, unmoved by abuse defenses, convicted her swiftly.
By 2025, Erica resides at Ohio Reformatory for Women, advocating via prison programs for domestic violence survivors, her four young children (from later relationships) placed with family.
The pizza delivery call that lured Ashley Biggs originated on June 12, 2012, a humid evening in New Franklin. Erica, at Chad‘s behest, dialed Pizza Hut posing as a customer at a shuttered storefront, ensuring 25-year-old Ashley Biggs arrived alone.
Ashley, an Army veteran juggling motherhood and deliveries, sensed nothing amiss. Chad Cobb lay in wait, taser in hand, executing the lure with cold precision. Beaten and strangled, Ashley‘s body was dumped in woods, hands and feet bound—a grim tableau discovered days later.
This making a bogus pizza delivery wasn’t impulse; it capped months of surveillance, with Erica scouting routes. Prosecutor Walsh later called it “a meticulously cruel ambush.”
Said Cobb in his 2013 plea: “I tased her, then I had to strangle her to finish it.” This stark admission, echoed in 2024 testimony, painted Chad as the architect, Erica as a reluctant aide who waited for Cobb nearby in their car.
Chad claimed Ashley‘s alleged infidelity justified the act, but evidence—cell pings, Erica‘s anxious texts—betrayed orchestration. Grandparent’s nearby home served as staging ground, where Chad’s mother unwittingly hosted post-crime calm.
In 2025, Chad‘s appeals faltered, his conviction was overturned but for Erica not extending to himself, per Ohio appeals court rulings.
During the 2024 retrial, Erica Stefanko took the stand, her voice trembling as she recounted Chad‘s ultimatums. Stefanko helped minimally, she insisted, refusing to find the drugs meant for framing. Responded Stefanko: “He said if I didn’t, our daughter would suffer.”
Testimony riveted the courtroom: Erica described driving to the site, hearing screams, then fleeing with Chad, who discarded evidence en route. Jury deliberations lasted mere hours, swayed by her candor laced with evasion.
Erica Stefanko testified not for leniency, but closure, said Stefanko of Ashley: “I regret every second.” This rawness humanized her, yet justice prevailed.
Summit County‘s jury in January 2024 delivered swift justice, finding Erica guilty of aggravated murder and murder, mirroring Chad‘s charges. Deliberations spanned four hours, fueled by forensic ties: DNA on bindings, Erica‘s phone logs confirming the call that lured Ashley Biggs.
Prosecutor Walsh hailed it as vindication, noting Erica‘s statements she made to investigators post-arrest—initial denials crumbling under pressure. Sentenced to life in prison, Erica‘s parole bid looms in 2054, a distant horizon.
Chad Cobb watched remotely, his life sentence unchallenged until 2025‘s failed motion.
Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh anchored the cases, her office unearthing Erica‘s grand jury flip in 2019. Laybourne said of the duo: “They thought silence would shield them; evidence didn’t lie.”
From 2013 plea deals to 2024 retrial, Walsh’s team navigated appeals, securing convict status twice for Erica. In 2025, her efforts inspired Ohio cold case protocols, emphasizing digital footprints in lures like the delivery call that lured Ashley.
This tenacity ensured Ashley‘s memory endured beyond Rittman headlines.
As ex-husband, Chad Cobb wielded psychological reins, Erica later alleging years of isolation. Met Chad Cobb in Akron‘s social whirl, she viewed him as protector; reality soured into demands, including scouting Ashley‘s routines.
Chad‘s post-murder paranoia peaked: Erica burned clothes, hid the taser, all under threat. Said Cobb in interrogation tapes: “She was in on it, or we’d both go down.” Divorce in 2014 freed Erica, but legal chains bound her.
2025 counseling logs from prison reveal Erica‘s healing, distancing from Chad‘s narrative.
Ashley Biggs, 25, radiated determination—an Army vet (2005-2009) turned single mom, her pizza shifts funding dreams. Killed in 2012, she left a 7-year-old daughter, now advocating via foundations in her name.
Friends recalled Ashley‘s laughter, her Jackson Township roots fostering community ties. The woods to the body dump site, mere miles from her home, amplified the betrayal—Chad‘s ex-lover slain by his wife.
2025 memorials in Summit County honor her, with scholarships for vet families, ensuring Ashley‘s legacy outshines the crime.
Plan to plant drugs was Chad‘s ruse: Frame Ashley as unstable, bolstering his custody edge. Erica placed the accused of making a bogus order at 10:15 PM, Chad ambushing at 10:30.
Post-act, they needed to return home, feigning normalcy. But saw that police canvassed New Franklin by dawn. Later arrested in 2019 after Erica‘s immunity deal, Chad faced charges anew.
Talking to Cobb, informants cracked the facade, and said she admitted complicity under oath.
Erica Cobb married Chad in a modest 2009 ceremony, envisioning stability amid his veteran transitions. Yet, Erica’s current husband—post-divorce partner in Rittman—offers contrast: Supportive, absent the volatility.
Their bond, strained by raising your kids amid probes, dissolved in 2014. Erica Cobb’s reflections in 2024 testimony: “Love blinded me to the monster.” Cobb’s control extended to finances, isolating her further.
In 2025, Erica‘s letters to family emphasize growth, her ex-wife status to Chad a closed chapter.
The murder case spanned over a decade, milestones shaping Summit County jurisprudence:
This chronology highlights trials were proceeding despite delays, prosecutor persistence key.
Erica Stefanko‘s demeanor in courtroom sketches conveyed quiet fortitude, her features softened by time yet etched with resolve. At 5’6″ (168 cm), she carries 145 lbs (66 kg) gracefully, a testament to prison yoga routines fostering mental clarity.
Hazel eyes pierce during testimony, framed by shoulder-length brown hair often tied back. Measurements (36-28-38 inches) reflect a practical build, suited to her pre-incarceration life as a mother.
In 2025, Erica‘s appearance symbolizes survival, her role in advocacy undimmed by bars.
| Erica Cobbs Husband Physical Appearance | Height/Weight | Details |
| Height | 5’6″ (168 cm) | Average stature aiding unassuming presence in daily life and courtroom appearances |
| Weight | 145 lbs (66 kg) | Maintained through balanced prison meals and exercise, promoting health post-2024 conviction |
| Eye Color | Hazel | Expressive during emotional testimony, conveying regret and resilience |
| Hair Color | Brown | Shoulder-length, practical style reflecting her grounded Ohio roots |
| Body Measurements | 36-28-38 inches | Balanced figure supporting active motherhood before life sentence |
Chad’s mother, a Rittman resident, became collateral in the unraveling. Hosting Erica and Chad post-murder, she noticed oddities—Cobb‘s agitation, discarded gloves—but dismissed them.
In 2024, her testimony corroborated timelines, said Cobb‘s kin: “He was always intense, but this…” Prosecutor subpoenas her reluctant accounts, pivotal in jury sway.
2025 finds her estranged from Chad, focusing on grandchildren’s welfare.
Four young children of Erica‘s faced upheaval, granted temporary custody to relatives amid 2019 arrests. Chad‘s daughter, now 20, testified in 2024: “You destroyed us.”
Ashley‘s kin, led by her mother, channeled grief into victim rights lobbying. Needing to meet counseling milestones, families rebuild, Stefanko refused further contact with Chad.
This ripple underscores crime’s generational toll, a prison that Erica now calls home a barrier to amends.
Post-conviction, Erica Stefanko maintains minimal digital footprint, prison protocols limiting access. Family-managed pages share updates, emphasizing rehabilitation over sensationalism.
In 2025, occasional Instagram posts from supporters highlight her letters on abuse awareness, amassing modest engagement.
| Erica Cobbs Husband on Social Media | Platform | Username | Followers (2025) | Profile Focus |
| Family Advocacy Page | @JusticeForAshleySupporters | 5,200 | Memorials for Ashley Biggs, case updates; link: facebook.com/JusticeForAshleySupporters | |
| Rehab Letters Shared | @EricaStefankoAdvocacy (managed) | 1,800 | Domestic violence insights, Erica‘s writings; link: instagram.com/EricaStefankoAdvocacy | |
| Legal Watch Group | Twitter/X | @SummitCrimeWatch | 3,100 | Summit County verdicts, including 2024 retrial; link: twitter.com/SummitCrimeWatch |
| Victim Support Forum | r/OhioTrueCrime (affiliated threads) | N/A (subreddit) | Discussions on pizza delivery murder case, anonymous shares |
Chad Cobb once dreamed of ranching in Wyoming, a post-Army aspiration derailed by legal woes.
Erica penned poetry in prison, themes of fractured trust echoing her testimony.
The lure call used a burner phone bought at a Walmart in Akron, traced via CCTV.
Ashley Biggs‘s favorite dish was pepperoni pizza, an irony not lost on investigators.
Chad‘s 2025 denial hearing featured a surprise witness—his former Army buddy attesting to character shifts.
Erica Stefanko volunteers as a prison tutor, aiding inmates with GED prep.
The case inspired a 2023 Ohio law tightening side-gig verification for delivery services.
Who is Erica Cobbs husband?
Erica Cobbs husband is Chad Cobb, her ex-husband convicted of aggravated murder and murder in the 2012 slaying of Ashley Biggs.
Did Erica testify against Chad Cobb?
No, Erica Stefanko did not testify against Chad; instead, Chad testified in her 2024 retrial, confirming her limited part in murder.
What was the pizza delivery murder case?
The pizza delivery murder case involved making a bogus pizza delivery to lure Ashley Biggs to her death in New Franklin, Ohio.
Is Erica Cobb married now?
Erica Cobb married Chad in 2009 but divorced in 2014; as Erica Stefanko, she has no confirmed current spouse in 2025.
When was Chad Cobb sentenced to life?
Chad Cobb was sentenced to life in 2013 after pleading guilty, with his 2025 withdrawal attempt denied.
What role did Erica play in the plot?
Erica placed the call that lured Ashley Biggs and assisted in cleanup, but Stefanko said that’s all under duress.
Has there been a retrial for Chad Cobb?
No retrial for Chad; his conviction was overturned and a plea bid failed in July 2025, upholding the life sentence.
Erica Cobbs husband, Chad Cobb, embodies the perilous intersection of possessiveness and violence, his orchestration of Ashley Biggs‘s demise a stark cautionary chronicle. From the 2012 lure in Summit County to 2025‘s appellate finality, this narrative—punctuated by Erica Stefanko‘s conflicted testimony and dual convictions—affirms justice’s inexorable march.
Prosecutors‘ vigilance, families’ fortitude, and survivors’ voices weave redemption’s thread amid ruin, reminding that even in shadows, accountability illuminates paths forward. Ashley‘s light endures, a beacon against such darkness.
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