Officials close cold case of Ohio woman found decapitated, dismembered in 1964

MIAMI COUNTY, Ohio (TCD) -- The local prosecutor approved closing a cold case from 60 years ago involving the murder and dismemberment of a 43-year-old woman.

On March 29, the Miami County Sheriff’s Office announced that prosecutor Anthony Kendell determined Daisy Shelton’s case was solved following a confession from a suspect who is now dead, as well as other evidence. The statement said the evidence "would have prompted [Kendell] to move forward with a prosecution with confidence that the actual killer would be the one standing trial."

According to the sheriff’s office, in June 1964, a fisherman discovered a severed arm in a gravel pit near Tipp City. Officials tried draining the gravel pit but were unable to. Days later, a second fisherman discovered a bag containing a torso in the Miami Erie canal. A leg and head were also found in the water.

The remains were later positively identified as Shelton’s, but the investigation into her death eventually went cold until a break in 2017. A man who witnessed Shelton’s death — and who feared he was dying while in the hospital — reportedly told a nurse what he knew.

The man ultimately survived and spoke with detectives about Shelton’s death. He reportedly said he saw someone kill Shelton by hitting her in the head with a hammer at a home in Dayton, Ohio. She was dismembered inside the home and her body parts were dumped in waterways.

According to the sheriff’s office, detectives spoke with the person the witness identified as the killer. He allegedly claimed he did not know Shelton even though they worked at the same company and lived on the same street. In August 2017, the man "reluctantly admitted to knowing Daisy Shelton."

The suspect reportedly told investigators about a box he used to move her remains and said it "could explain why his DNA could possibly be present on the item." He claimed he was being set up by the witness, but he admitted the box came from his home and that Shelton’s death occurred at his residence.

The statement said the suspect "conceded the eyewitness statement disproved lies that he didn’t know Shelton, and his admissions about the box used to move her body parts made him a good suspect for the murder."

He reportedly admitted he "looked guilty and could possibly be convicted in court."

The man testified at a grand jury hearing but died before he could be prosecuted. The suspect, who was not named, was 92 years old.

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