Ohio man accused of severing his father’s legs and hiding them in trash bags
05/13/2024 3:28 pm PDT
KETTERING, Ohio (TCD) -- A 52-year-old man faces charges after the dismembered legs of his 75-year-old father were found in trash bags at the end of his driveway.
On April 26, officers with the Kettering Police Department responded to a home on Croftshire Drive after Trotwood Police found two human legs several days earlier. Police learned the victim, identified by the Dayton Daily News as Edgar Keiter Sr., lived at the home.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office reportedly determined Keiter died on April 22. They have not yet confirmed whether the man’s death was a homicide, but police suspect Keiter was killed in his home.
Investigators reportedly found a serial number on one of the victim’s legs from knee replacement surgery to help identify him.
On April 27, in a separate case, a landlord accused the victim’s son, Edgar Keiter Jr., of allegedly stealing appliances and carpet from an apartment. Police said authorities approved two counts of felony theft against Keiter Jr. and issued a "Be on the Lookout" (BOLO) alert for a suspect’s vehicle. On May 1, officers spotted the BOLO vehicle with two additional suspects inside.
Kettering Police Chief Chip Protsman told the Dayton Daily News the two suspects were "associates" and "friends" of Keiter Jr., but they have not been charged.
Police located Keiter Jr. on Ernst Avenue and took him into custody on the theft charges.
Following his arrest, authorities reportedly executed a search warrant at a storage facility on Guenther Road, where they found the victim’s remaining body parts. Police also found the stolen appliances on Eastview Avenue.
On May 3, Keiter Jr. was also charged with three counts of tampering with evidence and one count of gross abuse of a corpse. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail, where he remains held.
According to the Dayton Daily News, Keiter Jr. appeared in court for his arraignment on May 6, and a judge kept his bond at $1 million. Police said additional charges are possible pending further investigation.
Keiter Jr. reportedly has prior aggravated drug possession convictions, as well as a conviction for resisting arrest and obstructing official business in 2021. His father had also been convicted of past crimes, including rape and gross sexual imposition against a child under age 13 in 2010, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the Dayton Daily News reports.
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