David Savage, 61, was indicted on murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse by a Montgomery County grand jury.
His bond was set at $1 million.
The body of Steven T. Johnson, 47, was found off Arlington Road on Oct. 8 by a Browns Nursery worker.
Savage was tracked to Wisconsin by Montgomery County Sheriff’s detectives and arrested by Oak Creek police.
Johnson died of blunt force trauma, according to the coroner’s office.
Savage reportedly beat Johnson to death, possibly with a metal pipe, inside a home in the 4500 block of Eichelberger Avenue in Dayton.
Sheriff Phil Plummer said that the pair likely argued about a woman and drugs before Johnson was killed.
While Savage is from New Mexico, investigators described him as a drifter who spent time in Dayton and Wisconsin.
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