Lima man found guilty of murder for the death of 25-year-old McKenzie Butler in 2020. He was also sentenced to life in prison for the murder.
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While the circumstances surrounding the scene ruled it a homicide, there were no visible wounds and x-ray results did not reveal a cause. The coroner says findings in the temporal bone, which are located at the sides and the base of the skull may indicate a drowning, but there is not enough evidence to prove it.
The officers who responded to a tip of a possible murder on June 13th of 2020 took the stand. They explained what they found in Boothe's apartment and the fact that he tried to escape through a window at his apartment when they arrived. Plus they talked about the evidence that was discovered in a small wooded area in Martin Luther King Junior Park that led them to where Butler's body was buried.
A jury was sat Monday afternoon and they heard from a former girlfriend of Boothe, who tipped off police to the incident. The defense tried to get a mistrial declared because of unrelated information to the case that came out during her testimony. Judge Terri Kohlrieser ruled against that. The trial will resume on Tuesday and is expected to go on until the middle of the week.
A Lima man charged with a 2020 murder has been found competent to stand trial. 30-year-old Melvin Boothe's jury trial is scheduled to start in May. Boothe is facing charges of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, gross abuse of a corpse, and possessing criminal tools. In June 2020, he allegedly killed 25-year-old Mckenzie Butler and placed her body in a suitcase and buried it in a wooded area in Martin Luther King Junior Park which was near where they lived together.
A Lima man who is accused of murdering McKenzie Butler will now undergo a competency examination. 29-year-old Melvin Boothe is facing multiple charges, which include Aggravated Murder, Tampering with Evidence, Gross Abuse of a Corpse, and Possessing Criminal Tools.
29-year-old Melvin Boothe said no to pleading guilty to one count of murder for the death of McKenzie Butler in 2020. Instead, he will face all of his original charges, which include Aggravated Murder, Tampering with Evidence, Gross Abuse of a Corpse, and Possessing Criminal Tools. According to police, Boothe and Bulter were living together in an apartment on 8th street, when she was reported missing. After searching the home, they found muddy boots and receipts for shovels and a pick. Police searched nearby Martin Luther King Junior Park, where they found Butler’s body. Boothe’s trial is set for August 9th.
Melvin Boothe is facing a charge of murder. Lima police arrested him as a suspect in the death of 25-year-old McKenzie Butler, whose body was found buried in a wooded area at the south end of Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Thursday's motion hearing saw a request from the defense to eliminate an interview and 911 call of Boothe's wife, stating that at the time Boothe was not arrested or in custody.
2020 was already a difficult year. And for the City of Lima it was an unusual year when it comes to crime. Lima Police Department handled 12 homicides, up from the average 5 murders a year for the last few years. LPD has arrested at least one person in each case.
Jan. 20 Dan Jackson was shot and killed while standing behind pappy’s lounge after the bar had closed. Police believe two teens are responsible and they have since been arrested.
On Feb.4, Levels Lounge was the site of a violent triple murder. A gun fight left Terrell McGraw and Devontae Upshaw dead inside the bar and Timothy White was found dead on a nearby sidewalk. Deontray Forrest has been charged for two of the murders with criminal gang charges attached to them. The bar has since closed.
An Allen County Grand Jury has released their indictments from their August session. Some of these people are involved in recent crimes we’ve been keeping you up to date on.