Another Murder
Washington County authorities probing second homicide in weekBy Brad Bauer
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NEWPORT TOWNSHIP - A 42-year-old man was found shot and killed outside his Bells Run Road home Thursday afternoon, sparking the second homicide investigation this week in Washington County.
Killed was Patrick E. Arnold of 2410 Bells Run Road, according to police. Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said police did not have any suspects as of late Thursday.
Arnold's body was discovered shortly before 1 p.m. by a neighbor. It was unclear how long Arnold had been dead. A neighbor said he had not seen the man in at least a day.
Mincks said the body was being transported to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office for a forensic autopsy.
"We don't have anyone in custody, but we have a number of persons of interest we will be talking to," Mincks said. "Not that they are suspects, just people we want to talk to."
Prior to this week, the last homicide in Washington County came in November 2004 when a 12-year-old boy shot and killed his grandmother and aunt.
On Tuesday, Amber Wesley, 21, was strangled and killed at her Warren Township home.
Her live-in boyfriend, Noal Quattlebaum, 22, is charged with her murder and is expected to be arraigned today in Marietta Municipal Court.
Also this week, a man was charged with attempted murder after police say he stabbed his ex-girlfriend in the back outside her New Matamoras home.
"What in the world is going on around here?" asked Carol Stevens, who lives across from Arnold. "This is starting to hit a little too close to home."
Her husband, Francis Stevens, 72, described Arnold as a hard worker who tended to keep to himself.
"It's been (Wednesday) or maybe the day before since I've seen him. Our mailboxes are all right together right there and I usually see him there," Stevens said.
Stevens said police should check with Arnold's employer to see if he was at work. It could help nail down a timeline, he said.
"He was a worker. If he was supposed to be at work, he would be there," Stevens said.
According to one of Arnold's family members, the man was divorced with no children and lived alone. He worked as a union millwright and owned several rental properties in the area.
"He was like me; he would work 24-7 if he could get by with it," said Bill Klintworth, a brother-in-law. "With Pat, there was always something that needed done."
Arnold was living in a mobile home that sat about a quarter-mile off Bells Run Road and was not visible from the road. A deputy sat at the entrance of the drive to block access.
At least 20 investigators, including three special agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification, were processing the crime scene. Mincks refused to answer most questions about the crime scene, including how many times Arnold had been shot.
"We're still in the preliminary stages of our investigation, and I don't want to release too much at this time," Mincks said.
