Police said the suspect, who remains in jail on a $1 million bond, is Donnie Cochenour Jr., 27, who was arrested and indicted on a murder charge following a tip to police.
As of yet, police say they have not linked Cochenour to any deaths or disappearances of other women in Chillicothe. Since last year, four other women have been found dead and two have disappeared.
Police have linked those women because they ran in the same circle and were involved in both heroin abuse and prostitution.
The body was found at the dead end of North Brownell Street. Fencing contractors in the area saw it, initially thinking the body was a Halloween decoration. Items of clothing were found yards away from the body.
UPDATE @ 9:03 p.m.
A 27-year-old Chillicothe man is in jail on a charge of murder in the death of the white female who was found earlier today.
Donnie Cochenour Jr., whose last known address is 356 E. Main St., was arrested about 6:15 p.m. without incident and is being detained without bond in the Ross County Jail, Chillicothe police Detective Bud Lytle said in a prepared statement released tonight.
He is scheduled for an initial appearance in Chillicothe Municipal Court on Wednesday morning.
The woman had not been positively identified at the time of Cochenour’s arrest, Lytle said in the statement.
The investigation is continuing and more details will be released as they become available, according to the police department.
UPDATE @ 5:51 p.m.
A woman who apparently was the victim of homicide was found Tuesday morning outdoors near a fence line in a Chillicothe neighborhood, a city already on edge after a string of disappearances and deaths of women within the past year.
Chillicothe Police said there were obvious signs of injuries to the body, and officers were investigating the death as a homicide.
The body was found at the dead end of North Brownell Street. It was discovered dangling by a sleeve from the top of a fence. Fencing contractors in the area saw it, initially thinking the body was a Halloween decoration. Items of clothing were found yards away.
The case is under investigation by Chillicothe Police detectives, the Ross County Coroner’s Office, Ross County prosecuting attorney and crime scene units from Ohio BCI&I. The woman’s name was not released.
Authorities said a cause of death should be available Wednesday.
A task force made up of federal, state and local law enforcement members is still probing the deaths and disappearances of six women, which have sparked speculation of a serial killer.
“At this time this case does not appear to be linked to any other current investigation being conducted locally,” Chillicothe Police Detective Bud Lytle said in a prepared statement.
Since May 2014, four women have been found dead and two are still reported as missing.
Police and family have said that the women in the earlier cases ran in the same circles and are linked to heroin abuse and prostitution.
The dead women include Tameka Lynch, 30, mother of three, missing in May of 2014 and found dead in Paint Creek in Highland County by a kayaker; Shasta Himelrick, 20, found in January in the Scioto River outside Chillicothe; Timberly Claytor, 38, found shot dead in Massieville outside an abandoned building and Tiffany D. Sayre, 26, found near Cave Road not far from where Lynch was found in a remote part of Highland County.
In July, the FBI joined in on the efforts to located the missing Chillicothe women who are Charlotte Trego, 28, and Wanda Lemons, 38.
In September, Ernest J. Moore, 39, turned himself in and was charged in connection with an incident in which a man seeking illegal drugs in Chillicothe was abducted and tortured. While he’s not been linked to the deaths or disappearances, police have said Moore was active in the area drug trade and prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
The investigation has also sorted through hundreds of tips to determine whether Neal Falls, 45, of Oregon, killed by a West Virginia prostitute with his own gun, could be connected to the deaths.
FIRST REPORT (Oct. 13)
A female apparent homicide victim was found this morning outdoors near a fence line in a neighborhood in Chillicothe, a city already on edge following a string of disappearances and deaths of women within the past year.
Chillicothe Police, who plan a news conference at 4 p.m. today, said there were obvious signs of injuries to the body and they were investigating the death as a homicide. The body was found at the dead end of North Brownell Street. Broadcast of the news conference will be available at WHIO.com.
The case is under investigation by Chillicothe Police detectives, the Ross County Coroner’s Office, Ross County Prosecuting Attorney and crime scene units from Ohio BCI&I. The woman’s name was not released.
A task force made up of federal, state and local law enforcement members is still probing the deaths and disappearances of six women.
“At this time this case does not appear to be linked to any other current investigation being conducted locally,” Chillicothe Police Det. Bud Lytle said in a prepared statement.
Since May of 2014, four women have been found dead and two are still reported as missing.
Police and family have said that the women in the earlier cases ran in the same circles and are linked to heroin abuse and prostitution.
The dead women include Tameka Lynch, 30, mother of three, missing in May of 2014 and found dead in Paint Creek in Highland County by a kayaker; Shasta Himelrick, 20, found in January in the Scioto River outside Chillicothe; Timberly Claytor, 38, found shot dead in Massieville outside an abandoned building and Tiffany D. Sayre, 26, found near Cave Road not far from where Lynch was found in a remote part of Highland County.
In July, the FBI joined in on the efforts to located the missing Chillicothe women who are Charlotte Trego, 28, and Wanda Lemons, 38.
The Chillicothe Missing Persons Task Force has a tip line and e-mail account to receive leads in the cases.
The number is 740-774-FIND (3463)
The e-mail address is findme@rosssheriff.com
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