News
Police Have Person Of Interest In Burned-Body Case
By: Steve Robb - Athens Messenger staff reporter
Posted on:
There is a person of interest in the death of Phillip Lawrence Kimbro Jr., whose body was found burning last week along a Morgan County road.
Although the body was found in Morgan County, the focus of the investigation has apparently shifted to Muskingum County.
"We are actively investigating his death," said Muskingum County Prosecutor Mike Haddox. He said Thursday afternoon that there is a person of interest in the case, but an arrest warrant has not been issued and the person is not in custody.
Haddox said the lead investigative agency in the case is now the Zanesville Police Department.
Asked if Kimbro, 24, was killed in Muskingum County, Haddox said that will be determined by the investigation. He would not comment on whether Kimbro was living in Muskingum County at the time of this death.
The Morgan County Sheriff's Office has said that Kimbro's last known address, dating from 2011, was Lorain. On his Facebook page, Kimbro listed Zanesville as his hometown.
On Monday, a search warrant was executed at a Zanesville residence.
"We believe we (found) items of evidentiary value," Haddox said of the search. Items were sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation for examination, and Haddox said he hopes to have the results next week.
According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, on July 25 workers found a burning body in Union Twp. on County Road 15, about 1,000 yards west of Route 555. BCI was called to the scene.
The body was identified through a fingerprint match.
Haddox said he does not yet have preliminary autopsy results, and would not comment on cause of death.