Dominique Mays, 23, is already being held in the Montgomery County Jail on charges that includes murder and abuse of a corpse for allegedly killing his estranged wife, Amber Owens, in October. While in the jail on those charges, Mays reportedly began running a drug operation, and tried to sell narcotics to one of his cell mates. When the cell mate refused, Mays attempted to sexually assault the man, Sheriff Phil Plummer said, noting that the victim fought back.
The case was investigated and presented to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office on April 28.
The prosecutor’s office said they’ll likely present the case to a grand jury this month. Mays remains in jail in lieu of $1 million bond.
In the previously unreleased video above, Mays talked to NewsCenter 7’s Jessica Heffner before his wife’s body was found last fall.
UPDATE @5:53 p.m. (April 24):
A Dayton man officials say was responsible for the disappearance and death of his estranged wife has been indicted for her killing.
Dominique C. Mays, 23, is suspected of murdering 23-year-old Amber Owens, who was reported missing on Oct. 22 when she failed to show up for work.
Her body was found six weeks later along Post Town Road.
A grand jury on Friday indicted Mays on one count of murder, felonious assault, abduction, gross abuse of a corpse and domestic violence.
He also was indicted on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of domestic violence.
The murder charge was a “proximate result” of Mays committing the felonious assault, said Greg Flannagan, spokesman with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s office.
Abduction is the underlying offense of one count of involuntary manslaughter, Flannagan said.
For the other count, domestic violence was the underlying offense, he said.
After Owens went missing, police discovered her car on Arlene Avenue in Dayton on Nov. 3.
A month later, her decomposed body was found in a ditch by road crews in Trotwood.
Mays is being held on a $1 million bond in the Montgomery County Jail. His arraignment is 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
In an interview with the newspaper in December, Mays admitted the couple had a volatile relationship and domestic violence was involved. But he said he did not harm her.
UPDATE @1:30 p.m.:
Dominique Mays was indicted today on multiple charges including murder, felonious assault, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, abduction, domestic violence, two counts of tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.
Mays is charged in the death of his estranged wife Amber Owens.
UPDATE @ 3:35 p.m. 4/13/2015:
Dominique Mays is being held in the Montgomery County jail on a $1-million bond. He’s charged with murder, felonious assault, 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter, abduction, domestic violence, gross abuse of a corpse, and 2 counts of tampering with evidence. Mays is charged in the death of his estranged wife Amber Owens whose remains were discovered in Trotwood in December, two months after she disappeared.
FIRST REPORT:
A Dayton man is being held unofficially on murder charges in connection with the death of his wife, whose decomposed body was found more than a month after she went missing last year.
Once Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck approves, Dominique C. Mays, 23, will be charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the death of his estranged wife Amber Owens, 23. Mays has been in the Montgomery County Jail since January after being arrested for probation violation for domestic violence involving Owens, and he was scheduled to be released Monday.
However, he’s being held an additional 48 hours until Heck approves the charges. Heck’s office has asked investigators to gather more evidence before the charges are approved, spokesman Greg Flannagan said. He noted that detectives are scheduled to meet with prosecutors Tuesday morning.
At the time of her disappearance, Owens’ relatives said they suspected someone harmed her. She never reported to her job at Waffle House on Oct. 21. Three days later, her family filed a missing person’s report. Her twin sister Alicia Owens was the last person known to have seen her alive. Alicia said they went to a party on Genesee Avenue in Dayton and that’s the last time she saw her sibling.
On Nov. 4, Owens’ vehicle was found on Arlene Avenue in Dayton, and a month later on Dec. 4 her remains were found in Trotwood.
In an exclusive interview with WHIO in December, Mays admitted that the couple had a volatile relationship, including a history of domestic violence, but he did not harm her. They had three children and were not living together at the time of Owens’ death.
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