Staff Reporter
In the early hours of Aug. 1, the life of Jacob Zieben-Hood, a Harlem-based fitness trainer and social media influencer, came to a violent and tragic end. Police found the 40-year-old in the bathroom of his W. 138th St. apartment, just off Frederick Douglass Blvd., bleeding heavily from multiple stab wounds to his leg.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
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Victim: Jacob Zieben-Hood, fitness trainer and influencer
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Location: W. 138th St., Harlem, near Frederick Douglass Blvd.
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Date & Time: Aug. 1, about 4 a.m.
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Cause of Death: Multiple stab wounds to leg, suspected severed artery
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Suspect: Husband, Donald Zieben-Hood
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History: Alleged past abuse, multiple violent incidents, order of protection in place
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Evidence: Multiple knives recovered, victim sent photo of wound before death
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Status: Death under homicide investigation by Manhattan DA’s office and medical examiner
Jacob frequently attributed the marks on his face and arms to bad falls or street fights, according to coworkers. But several believe he concealed a years-long pattern of abuse from his husband while trying to present an image of a perfect life.
“It’s one of those crimes, where you might not know this person well, but you read about it, you see the picture-perfect relationship—always together, always holding hands—and then you realize it’s all made up,” said Irina Caisin, manager at CompleteBody gym. “It’s not the happy relationship they’re trying to portray.”
Police found Jacob’s lifeless body around 4 a.m. on Aug. 1 in the bathroom of his W. 138th St. apartment near Frederick Douglass Blvd., after his husband, Donald Zieben-Hood, told 911 operators that Jacob had attacked him, prosecutors said.
Donald had three cuts requiring stitches, while officers found Jacob slumped on the floor, covered in blood with head injuries and multiple stab wounds to his leg — including one to the back of his calf that penetrated muscle. Authorities believe one of the wounds severed an artery, causing fatal blood loss. Multiple knives were recovered from the apartment.
Pathologists at the city medical examiner’s office are awaiting further investigative details before ruling on the cause of death. Prosecutors earlier this week confirmed the death is being investigated as a homicide.
According to prosecutors, Jacob had called his father before his death. The father overheard Donald shouting insults and was told his son was being threatened with a knife and prevented from leaving the apartment. Jacob also texted a photo of his wounded leg from the bathroom. Police say Donald waited almost nine hours before calling 911.
An order of protection had barred Donald from the apartment and from contacting Jacob after at least two violent incidents in the past six months, authorities said. Police noted that Donald raised the order of protection as one of his first concerns when speaking to them.
Jacob Zieben-Hood’s death has left his friends, clients, and colleagues grappling with shock and unanswered questions. What appeared, from the outside, to be a life built on discipline, health, and a seemingly affectionate partnership is now under the scrutiny of homicide investigators. As the medical examiner works to determine the official cause of death and prosecutors piece together the events of that August night, the case stands as a stark reminder that outward appearances can conceal private struggles — sometimes with fatal consequences.
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