What happened to Jacob Zieben Hood? Fitness influencer's cause of death revealed months after he was found dead at NYC apartment

Jacob Zieben Hood's death has been ruled a homicide, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner stated on October 17, 2025. The personal trainer and fitness influencer's deceased body was found in his New York City apartment in August 2025, as his estranged husband, Donald, called 911.

According to the New York Post's October 1, 2025, report, Donald claimed that he fell asleep after a fight with Jacob, and when he woke up, he saw Jacob's bloody body with multiple injuries in the bathroom.

The police arrived and saw that Jacob Zieben Hood's body had severe stab wounds on his head and legs. His blood was on furniture, walls, floor, and counters.

According to People Magazine's October 17, 2025, report, an investigation revealed that Jacob Zieben Hood reported that Donald assaulted him on two different occasions this year. Both times, he violated a protective order.

Donald was arrested at the scene, and this month he was charged with two counts of burglary, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal contempt. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

As Donald appeared at the Manhattan Supreme Court on October 1, prosecutors stated that he had nine domestic violence incidents reported against him, which dated back to 2022. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg noted that this year, Donald's dangerous behavior escalated despite the protective order.

"As alleged, Donald Ziebenhood escalated his threatening conduct towards his husband in multiple acts of intimate partner violence over the course of a year. My thoughts are with Mr. Zieben's loved ones," Bragg stated.

Jacob Zieben Hood told his father that his estranged husband was assaulting him

According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's press release this month, Donald assaulted Jacob in February and March of this year. In July, Zieben Hood called his father and told him that his estranged husband had again entered his home and was assaulting him.

Jacob Zieben Hood then sent his father photos of minor cuts to his face and head. The same day, he sent his father an image of his face, which had a large wound, as well as a stab wound on the back of his leg, which was bleeding.

According to the Daily News' report, Jacob Zieben Hood's co-workers at Manhattan's CompleteBody gym noticed frequent scars and bruises on his body.

They told the news outlet that Jacob would dismiss their concerns, saying that the black eyes and bruises were from street fights and bad falls. Irina Caisin, the manager at the gym, stated that Jacob tried to hide the reality to maintain a "picture-perfect relationship."

"It's one of those crimes, where you might not know this person well, but when you read about it and you look at this picture-perfect relationship, always together, always holding hands, just 'love is in the air,' and then you just realize it's not the happy relationship they’re trying to portray," she noted.

Jacob Zieben Hood was 34 years old at the time of passing. It is uncertain if Donald will get additional charges or not. Stay tuned for more updates on this case.