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Wooster man's body found in field; police believe he was beaten
By Lisa A. Abraham Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Nov 18, 2007
Police say they expect to make an arrest Monday in the killing of a 26-year-old Guatemalan migrant worker who made his home in Wooster.
Wooster Police Chief Steven Glick said the body of Rey F. Melendez was found in a field off Geyers Chapel Road in Wooster Township Friday evening.
Melendez had been missing since Nov. 11. He is considered the city's second homicide of the year.
An autopsy was performed Saturday at the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office. The results are expected to be released Monday.
Glick said Melendez appeared to be the victim of a beating. Police noted several injuries to his body, he said.
The chief said Melendez's girlfriend, Lucille Sovel, reported him missing the afternoon of Nov. 11. She had received two cell-phone calls from Melendez
early that Sunday around 3 a.m.
Melendez told her he had been in a fight, was left near a school and that he wanted her to call 911 for help.
Sovel did not immediately call for help. She went to police later that day when Melendez did not return home.
Sovel told police there were previous times when Melendez did not come home.
On Monday, police received additional information about the disappearance and throughout the week conducted several interviews. The investigation led police to obtain a search warrant Friday for the home of Verdell Bullard and Abby Dean on Fisher Drive in Wooster.
Glick said police found evidence of an altercation at the home. Melendez's body was found about five miles away from the residence.
''Based on that and some interviews we conducted, we found the body in a field . . . just outside of the city,'' Glick said.
Police believe Melendez was killed at the Fisher Drive home and his body was dumped in the field.
He said an investigation into the cell-phone calls that Melendez made indicate they bounced off a cell-phone tower in the city of Wooster.
The chief said Melendez told Sovel he was near a school, and there was a school on the way to the Fisher Drive home. Also, a church is located across from the home, which could have been mistaken for a school in the dark, he said.
Glick said Melendez was from Guatemala and came to Ohio as a migrant worker. He said Melendez had several run-ins with police in the past for minor crimes.
Court records from Wayne County show that Melendez faced several charges in 2005, including domestic violence and disorderly conduct.
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.
Police say they expect to make an arrest Monday in the killing of a 26-year-old Guatemalan migrant worker who made his home in Wooster.
Get the full article here.
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