A fitness influencer busted after his husband was found covered in blood in his Manhattan apartment won’t face homicide charges — even after the medical examiner ruled his spouse was fatally beaten and stabbed, The Post has learned.
Prosecutors confirmed the decision not to bring homicide raps against Donald Zibenhood, 40, this week, noting there was “reasonable doubt” about whether the multiple stab wounds his hubby Jacob Zibenhood sustained from the 2025 melee in his Harlem home would have caused his death alone.
Jacob, 34, died of “multiple blunt and sharp force injuries” to his legs and other areas of his body, the city’s Office of Medical Examiner found in October, with contributing factors such as acute alcohol and lorazepam intoxication, as well as chronic alcohol use.
Assistant District Attorney Samantha LiTrenta, citing the ME’s report, also revealed in court Wednesday that Jacob had a blood alcohol level of .40% — which is generally considered potentially fatal — mixed with valium in his system that could have killed him even if he hadn’t been stabbed.
Donald, whose Instagram account flaunts flashy photos to nearly 68,000 followers, was not present at the hearing, and still faces charges of assault and burglary, for which he could face up to 25 years behind bars, if convicted.
New court documents reveal the couple were celebrating their 10-year anniversary when they allegedly got into a blowout fight.
Jacob, who was studying to be a doctor, was found dead on a toilet inside his home on West 138th Street, near Frederick Douglass Boulevard, hours later.
“I want to know how he died because I don’t want it to be because of me,” a distressed Donald had allegedly told cops when they showed up and arrested him on Aug. 1, according to the court papers.
“If he committed suicide or if he freaking OD’ed on some stupid ass drugs. I’m never going to get to see him again,” he said, according to the documents.
“This was our 10-year f–king anniversary.”
Prosecutors said that Donald had previously allegedly assaulted his lover inside an apartment on Feb. 25, and returned June 14 threatening to kill him with a knife — despite a court order mandating that he stay away from Jacob.
Before his tragic death, Jacob called his dad and told him that Donald was assaulting him, and sent photos of his injuries including a bloody head wound and a large bleeding gash on the back of his leg, prosecutors have said.
Police later found Jacob slumped over on the toilet, covered in blood with gashes on his head and multiple stab wounds to the back of his leg, including one on the back of his calf that penetrated his muscle, prosecutors said.
One of the wounds severed an artery, causing him to bleed to death, police have said.
Donald was also indicted in October on various charges for the prior altercations.
Cops lodged nine domestic violence incidents involving the pair dating back to 2022, prosecutors claimed previously.
The Legal Aid Society, which represents Donald Zibenhood, declined to comment.
He remains held at Rikers Island without bail and is due to appear next in court on May 20.
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