Grubb, 26, of Kettering was shot in the head and stabbed, which killed her, before she was wrapped in plastic and duct tape, the Montgomery Coroner’s office said. Police originally thought her body was dismembered, and even took a chainsaw out of the house, but this later turned out not to be the case.
Her body was found in a South Hedges Street home in Dayton on Oct. 29.
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Dayton police officers originally responded to the home on reports of a suspicious odor.
Erik Michael Evans, 32, was identified as the suspect. according to Dayton police. The day after Grubbs’ body was found police spotted Evans in a vehicle in the Shell parking lot at the corner of North Gettysburg and Free Pike.
As the officer approached him, Evans pulled out a gun and started firing at the officer. While the officer fired back at Evans, an autopsy concluded that Evans died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger.
Police found a note in Evans' pocket that said he killed Grubb and that he attempted to kill another person.
Dayton police Lt. Jason Hall said the note indicated that Evans may have tried to kill a second person, but that person got away.
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A summons for Mertz has been issued for Nov. 21. He is not in jail at this time.
Mertz is to appear at 8:30 a.m. in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court building.
Police are still working to learn how Grubb and Evans knew each other and how Mertz fits into the picture. Police are also still investigating how long Grubbs was in the South Hedges Street home before she was found.
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