ZANESFIELD (TNS) — Five people have been charged in connection with the shooting death of a Logan County man found dead on Thanksgiving morning.
The daughter of Jeffrey Brentlinger, 45, found him dead in his rural Zanesfield home in the 6400 block of township Road 127 about 11 a.m. Thursday, Smith said.
Brentlinger died from a gunshot wound, according to Logan County Sheriff Andrew Smith.
Marquevous Watkins, 21; Alexus Walton, 19; and a 17-year-old girl, all of Lima were arrested on Monday, Smith said. Watkins was charged with aggravated robbery and murder. Walton and the 17-year-old girl were charged with complicity to commit robbery and complicity to commit murder.
Zachariah Huddleston, 22, of Lima, and another 17-year-old girl, also of Lima, were arrested by the Gary, Indiana, Police Department on Sunday on warrants for complicity to commit murder and complicity to commit robbery, according to Smith. Both were awaiting extradition to Logan County as of Monday evening.
Watkins and Walton were being held in the Logan County Jail, Smith said. The other 17-year-old is being held in the Allen County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting extradition to Logan County.
Smith declined to say what led to the charges or a possible motive in the shooting.
Brentlinger’s daughter told a 911 dispatcher she returned home to find the front door open, all the lights on, mud on the floor and Brentlinger in a pool of blood, according to a 911 call to the Sheriff’s Office.
Family members told investigators they had left the home early Wednesday afternoon and then returned Thursday morning and found Brentlinger dead, Smith previously told the Springfield News-Sun.
Investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation were called to the scene Thursday and collected evidence.
Questions about the BCI investigation were referred to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office. The Logan County coroner didn’t return a call from the Springfield News-Sun as of Monday evening.
A Go Fund Me account set up to raise money for Brentlinger’s funeral expenses had raised more than $4,800 as of Monday afternoon. No funeral arrangements had been announced yet.
