This story broke on July 4th, and Joann Livingston, the managing editor of the Daily Light, provided great coverage and continues to update the story as details come in. Staff reporter Andrew Branca also was on the spot to get some good images of police working the crime scene.
Below is her latest report found on the newspaper's website. The photos taken by Andrew Branca were featured on the 10 p.m. newscast of ABC's WFAA in Dallas on July 5, with credit given to the Waxahachie Daily Light.
Body found in refrigerator in western Ellis County
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| Arlington police and crime scene unit at the location where a body was found in western Ellis County. Photo by Andrew Branca |
Authorities looking into whether remains are those of a missing Arlington man
By JOANN LIVINGSTON
Daily Light Managing Editor
The identity of a body found July 4 in a refrigerator on a property in western Ellis County remains pending; however, authorities say they are looking into whether the remains are those of a 62-year-old Arlington man who went missing May 6.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Dennis Brearley said a father and son were using their metal detectors on a property in the 500 block of Farm-to-Market 2258 when they came across the refrigerator. After opening it and discovering what appeared to be a body inside, they contacted the sheriff’s office, with a sergeant and investigators dispatched to the scene, Brearley said.
Justice of the Peace Jackie Miller Jr. said he was contacted at 11 p.m. and pronounced the as-yet unidentified person dead as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Miller said he ordered the body taken to the Tarrant County medical examiner for an autopsy.
“It was a pretty disturbing scene. They threw him away like he was trash,” Miller told the Daily Light.
Brearley said sheriff’s investigators recalled information received from the Arlington police during recent intelligence meetings to be on the lookout for a body that had possibly been dumped in the Ellis/Johnson county area.
Arlington PD was contacted about the find, with that agency’s officers securing the scene and taking over the case, Brearley said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Arlington PD spokesman Tiara Richard said her agency was still looking into the circumstances.
“We did have a homicide where a body was not recovered,” she said. “There is a possibility (the body found in Ellis County) is connected to our case, but the medical examiner will have to make that finding. We’re not connecting it; the medical examiner will have to do that. … We need to go through the process.”
According to information previously released by the Arlington Police Department, two people are in custody on a murder charge relating to the disappearance of Jerry Roberts from his residence in the 700 block of Sanford St.
Arlington officers had gone to his home May 6 to conduct a welfare check at the request of his family, arriving at the location to find the man’s pickup and refrigerator missing, while also discovering blood stains on a chair, authorities said.
During the ensuing investigation, at least one witness reported an argument the day before between Roberts and his roommate, Erin Leanne Guthrie, 38, who was seen on surveillance footage using Roberts’ debit card at a Fort Worth Convenience store May 7, authorities said.
On June 7, Thomas Eugene Dunham, 43, identified by police as Guthrie’s boyfriend, was stopped by officers in Alamosa, Colo., while driving Roberts’ truck, which had been listed as stolen, authorities said.
Dunham was taken into custody, with Guthrie located at a nearby Colorado homeless shelter and also taken into custody, authorities said.
“Based on the totality of the circumstances of this incident and interviews with the suspects, Arlington police investigators consulted with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office and are now proceeding with murder charges,” a June 24 press release by the Arlington PD states. “Guthrie and Dunham have both been charged with murder and remain in custody in the Alamosa County Jail in Colorado. Bail has been set at $500,000 for each suspect.”
It was unclear as of press time whether Guthrie and Dunham had been extradited back to Texas.
Contact JoAnn at joann@wninews.com or 469-517-1452.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Dennis Brearley said a father and son were using their metal detectors on a property in the 500 block of Farm-to-Market 2258 when they came across the refrigerator. After opening it and discovering what appeared to be a body inside, they contacted the sheriff’s office, with a sergeant and investigators dispatched to the scene, Brearley said.
Justice of the Peace Jackie Miller Jr. said he was contacted at 11 p.m. and pronounced the as-yet unidentified person dead as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Miller said he ordered the body taken to the Tarrant County medical examiner for an autopsy.
“It was a pretty disturbing scene. They threw him away like he was trash,” Miller told the Daily Light.
Brearley said sheriff’s investigators recalled information received from the Arlington police during recent intelligence meetings to be on the lookout for a body that had possibly been dumped in the Ellis/Johnson county area.
Arlington PD was contacted about the find, with that agency’s officers securing the scene and taking over the case, Brearley said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Arlington PD spokesman Tiara Richard said her agency was still looking into the circumstances.
“We did have a homicide where a body was not recovered,” she said. “There is a possibility (the body found in Ellis County) is connected to our case, but the medical examiner will have to make that finding. We’re not connecting it; the medical examiner will have to do that. … We need to go through the process.”
According to information previously released by the Arlington Police Department, two people are in custody on a murder charge relating to the disappearance of Jerry Roberts from his residence in the 700 block of Sanford St.
Arlington officers had gone to his home May 6 to conduct a welfare check at the request of his family, arriving at the location to find the man’s pickup and refrigerator missing, while also discovering blood stains on a chair, authorities said.
During the ensuing investigation, at least one witness reported an argument the day before between Roberts and his roommate, Erin Leanne Guthrie, 38, who was seen on surveillance footage using Roberts’ debit card at a Fort Worth Convenience store May 7, authorities said.
On June 7, Thomas Eugene Dunham, 43, identified by police as Guthrie’s boyfriend, was stopped by officers in Alamosa, Colo., while driving Roberts’ truck, which had been listed as stolen, authorities said.
Dunham was taken into custody, with Guthrie located at a nearby Colorado homeless shelter and also taken into custody, authorities said.
“Based on the totality of the circumstances of this incident and interviews with the suspects, Arlington police investigators consulted with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office and are now proceeding with murder charges,” a June 24 press release by the Arlington PD states. “Guthrie and Dunham have both been charged with murder and remain in custody in the Alamosa County Jail in Colorado. Bail has been set at $500,000 for each suspect.”
It was unclear as of press time whether Guthrie and Dunham had been extradited back to Texas.
Contact JoAnn at joann@wninews.com or 469-517-1452.
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