LIMA — A woman is dead and her live-in boyfriend in jail Thursday in what marked Lima’s 8th homicide of the year.
The body of Kimberly Clark, 40, was found inside her apartment at 118 S. Metcalf St., just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, Lima Police Det. Steve Stechschulte said.
There were signs of foul play that led police to believe her death was a homicide. Police located her live-in boyfriend, Leo Stapleton, 48, in the hours that followed. After talking with him, police took him into custody over her death, Stechschulte said.
Stapleton is being held on suspicion of murder in the Allen County jail, Stechschulte said. He could appear at a bond hearing as early as Friday.
Clark was strangled, Stechschulte said.
The recent incident was not the first involving the couple. Stapleton was charged with domestic violence and intoxication over a Nov. 2 incident Stechschulte said involved the two. Lima Municipal Court records show the case was dismissed after Clark failed to appear to pursue the case against Stapleton.
Clark’s body was sent to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy. Stechschulte said the autopsy will determine how long Clark had been dead.
Stapleton had lived in Indiana until about a year ago and has a criminal record in that state. He lived in Lima nearly 20 years ago but left for Indiana, Stechschulte said.
Indiana prison records showed Stapleton served sentences out of Fort Wayne for rape, resisting law enforcement, possession of paraphernalia, criminal recklessness, carrying a gun without a license, and mischief. He spent the majority of the last 20 years locked up in prison, according to records.
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