Within two hours of learning Jeffrey A. Brentlinger was dead, investigators had a name of a suspect, Logan County Prosecutor William T. Goslee said Tuesday.
Marquevous Watkins, on screen to the left, appeared via video arraignment Tuesday before Bellefontaine Municipal Court Judge Ann E. Beck. The judge assigned Marc Triplett as his attorney and set bond at $500,000. (EXAMINER PHOTO | JOEL E. MAST)
“This was some excellent police work,” Mr. Goslee said. “I was in the midst of preparing Thanksgiving dinner and the deputies called me asking for a search warrant for a suspect’s cell phone.
“In two hours, they had identified a suspect.”
That information led to the arrest of five suspects, all from Lima and two of whom are juveniles.
Marquevous E. Watkins, 21, is charged with murder and robbery. He is currently lodged in the Logan County Jail under $500,000 bond.
Alexus Walton, 19; Zachariah A. Huddleston, 22; Jasmine D. Lewis, 17; and Tatianna Freeman, 17, each has been charged with complicity to commit murder and complicity to commit robbery.
Ms. Walton also is lodged locally under a $500,000 bond.
Mr. Huddleston and Jasmine remain in the custody of Lake County, Ind., authorities. They were set have extradition hearings today.
Tatianna was lodged in the Allen County Juvenile Detention Center.
Two of the suspects were invited guests at Mr. Brentlinger’s 6498 Township Road 127, Zanesfield, home Wednesday into Thursday, Mr. Goslee said, declining to specify which suspects were there.
The other three arrived later, he said.
Read complete story in Wednesday’s Examiner.
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