Christopher Morrison, the Liverpool Township man who pleaded guilty Friday to killing his wife, Tiffany, 34, last December, is escorted out of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court by Deputy Sheriff Eric Buday. Sentencing is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 17. (Photo by Mary Ann Greier)

LISBON — Christopher Morrison pleaded guilty Friday to all six counts against him, admitting that he killed his wife, Tiffany, on Dec. 18, 2023, used a gun to commit the murder, tampered with evidence and abused the corpse.

“Guilty,” the Liverpool Township resident said when asked “how do you plea” to each charge and firearm specification read by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton.

The six charges included aggravated murder and murder, both unclassified felonies, fifth-degree felonies of gross abuse of a corpse and possessing criminal tools and two counts of third-degree felony tampering with evidence, along with two firearm specifications for using a gun.

Sentencing was set for 9 a.m. Sept. 17, the same day the jury trial in the case was supposed to start.

Life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years is the punishment county Chief Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Weikart said he’ll be recommending.

Morrison, 35, Shadyside Road, has remained in custody since Dec. 20, 2023 when Liverpool Township police discovered his wife Tiffany’s remains in a shed on their property. She was 34 years old. Police had been notified about a possible homicide and responded to the address.

Weikart explained the breakdown for the sentence, noting that the aggravated murder and murder will merge for sentencing and he’ll recommend a life sentence with parole eligibility in 20 years. The firearm specification carries a mandatory three-year sentence, bringing the total to 23 years. He’ll recommend 12 months for each of the tampering counts, to be served at the same time with each other, but consecutive to everything else, bringing the total to 24 years. Another 12 months for abuse of the corpse will bring the total to 25 years. A 12-month term for the possessing criminal tools charge will be recommended served at the same time as all other charges.

Morrison was accompanied by three deputies, along with his defense attorneys Terry Grenga and Joe King. Several family members of the victim were in the courtroom, along with one person there for the defendant.

“I’m glad the family gets one step closer to having closure on the criminal proceeding,” Weikart said after the hearing.

The defense withdrew outstanding motions to suppress evidence secured through a search warrant at the Morrison property and a motion to suppress DNA evidence. Bickerton had already denied a motion to suppress the video recorded and audio recorded statement made by Morrison to investigators during an interview at the Liverpool Township Police Department on Dec. 20, 2023, the day the victim’s remains were found.

During a recent suppression hearing, Morrison took the stand and admitted to knowing where his wife was and what had happened to her in the way he answered questions by county Assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone, During the interview with police, he had claimed he didn’t know where his wife was.

“So you knew where she was. You shot her, chopped her up and left her in the shed,” Yacovone said.

“Yes,” Morrison replied.

The apparent admission occurred after several questions by Yacovone about why Morrison was under stress and referenced the shed and the death of Tiffany.

Yacovone talked about how Morrison went through a lengthy narrative during the interview with police and Morrison said that he was under a lot of stress.

“Were you under a lot of stress because Tiffany Morrison was chopped up in your home?” Yacovone asked, prompting an objection from King. Yacovone said he was just trying to find out why he was under stress.

Morrison answered that he had a small business, three kids and was going through a rough patch in his marriage and other things.

“What are the other things?” Yacovone asked. “I don’t know,” Morrison said. “So the fact that Tiffany Morrison was dead in your shed at your home, that wasn’t a stressor for you?”

Morrison said it was.