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Coroner rules homicide in Newbury man's death
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - May 03, 2012)
Coroner rules homicide in Newbury man's death
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
The death of a Newbury Township man has been ruled a homicide.
Randy Scheffield, 53, was found dead in his bed Dec. 27 at his home at 14362 Ravenna Road (Route 44).
"No weapon has yet been found, even though the gun of the decedent was seen several days before his death, despite the careful search conducted by sheriff's officers. It seems extremely unlikely that the weapon would not have been found were this a suicide or accident, leaving the only logical conclusion that this was a homicide," Dr. Kevin M. Chartrand, Geauga County coroner, wrote.
Lt. John Hiscox, of the Geauga County Sheriff's Department, said the investigation remains open. He said the department has yet to determine anyone's involvement in the death, and no gun has been recovered.
An autopsy was conducted by the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office shortly after Mr. Scheffield was found dead.
A call initially was made Dec. 27 to the Newbury Fire Department, but the investigation was quickly turned over to the sheriff's department.
According to the 911 call, family members found Mr. Scheffield unconscious and bleeding from the ear. The caller reported that they believed he had suffered a heart attack, and they were unable to get him from the bed to perform CPR.
Mr. Hiscox said at that time that Mr. Scheffield's wife had gone to check on him, believing he may have overslept. She reported finding her husband unresponsive. She then went to the garage, where her son and his friends were, and they placed the 911 call, he said.
Mr. Hiscox said a small hole was found in Mr. Scheffield's head. He said no weapon was found, and no one at the home reported hearing or seeing anything suspicious before the victim was found.
According to the coroner's report a wound found in the back of Mr. Scheffield's head was caused by a small-caliber bullet. The bullet remained lodged in his brain, according to the report.
Deputies reported that Mr. Scheffield owned a Ruger .22-caliber pistol with a long barrel and that the gun had been seen by his wife a couple days earlier. However, deputies reported being unable to find the gun.
Gunshot-residue tests were performed on possible suspects, and people were interviewed following the discovery of the body, according to the report.
According to the coroner's report, Mr. Scheffield was found in bed, grasping to a vertical support of the headboard.
Deputies reported finding his wallet on the floor with credit cards spilled out but no cash.
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