WAPAKONETA, OH – Timothy Hovanec was known as a dedicated researcher with the U.S. State Department and a proud father of three daughters. His promising life came to a tragic end in May 2022, when he died in what authorities say was a calculated murder orchestrated by his estranged wife during a routine custody exchange.
Court documents reveal that Timothy was in the midst of a difficult divorce and contentious custody dispute with Amanda Leigh Hovanec, his wife of several years. The family had moved repeatedly due to Timothy’s career, including a significant relocation to South Africa in 2018. While abroad, Amanda began a relationship with Anthony Theodorou, a South African citizen later implicated in Timothy’s death.
After the couple returned to Ohio in 2020, the divorce proceedings intensified. Timothy pursued a relationship with his daughters despite mounting obstacles. Authorities say Amanda repeatedly denied him court-ordered visitation, making it difficult for Timothy to spend time with his children.
Just two days before his death, Timothy secured a crucial court order awarding him temporary summer custody of his three daughters. The decision was a bittersweet victory for Timothy, who had long fought for the right to be present in his children’s lives.
But what should have been a routine custody exchange on May 28, 2022, turned fatal. Federal prosecutors say Timothy was unloading car seats outside Amanda’s home when he was ambushed. Without warning, Amanda injected him with a lethal dose of M-99, an animal tranquilizer far more powerful than morphine, supplied from South Africa. The terrifying incident was secretly captured on Timothy’s dash camera.
After being attacked, Timothy—stunned and in pain—shouted for Amanda to stop. Video evidence shows her wrestling with him, seizing his phone as he tried to call for help. Within moments, the tranquilizer overwhelmed Timothy. Amanda reportedly pulled him to the ground, held him until he lost consciousness, and then removed his phone and watch.
As Timothy lay motionless on the driveway, Amanda and her co-conspirators, including Theodorou and Amanda’s mother, Anita Green, undertook a grisly cover-up. Prosecutors say the trio transported the victim’s body, concealed in plastic to prevent fluid leakage, to a shallow grave previously dug on property once owned by Amanda’s grandfather.
Records indicate the burial happened the following day in a remote area of Auglaize County. After disposing of the body with help from Theodorou, Amanda and her mother attempted to piece together an alibi, initially claiming Timothy had simply dropped off the children and left.
Investigators broke the case open when confronted Amanda with the dashcam evidence. She eventually confessed, admitting she injected Timothy with what she described only as a “poison” intended to kill quickly. Amanda pleaded guilty last month to aggravated murder. Under Ohio law, she faces a mandatory life sentence without parole.
Meanwhile, both Theodorou and Green face ongoing state charges for their involvement and are set to appear in court in mid-March.
Timothy’s death leaves his three daughters without a father. Former colleagues and friends describe him as passionate about his work and devoted to his family, making the circumstances of his murder all the more heartbreaking for those who knew him.