MOUNT VERNON — A 74-year-old Mount Vernon man is in custody after allegedly murdering his wife in their Miller Road home Tuesday afternoon.
According to Knox County Sheriff David Barber, sometime before 1:30 p.m., Elmer Chandler shot to death his 73-year-old wife, Joann Chandler, in the bedroom of their rural farmhouse. He then allegedly moved the woman’s body from their house to the barn before fleeing the scene in his vehicle, according to Barber.
At 2:30 p.m., Chandler was arrested approximately one mile away from the home, after deputies found him sitting in his truck at the intersection of Miller Road and Possum Road. Deputies took Chandler into custody without incident.
“We think he was just driving around,” said Barber. “We began checking locations where we thought he might be, when deputies located him at [the intersection].”
Chandler had no weapons at the time of his arrest.
Although the motive for the murder is still under investigation, Barber said the couple had been fighting recently, and that deputies were called to the home five days ago on a complaint that Chandler had threatened his wife. Barber said that at the time of the incident, there were no signs of physical abuse.
A report of the incident states that Joann reported her husband was “going to kill her.” At the time, Elmer denied making the threat and told deputies that his wife “just wants him gone so she can move her boyfriend in.” A report was forwarded to City Law Director William Smith’s office for possible prosecution. No charges were filed.
Sheriff’s deputies first learned of the Tuesday shooting after Chandler’s son called 9-1-1 around 1:30 p.m. On a recording of the call, Chandler’s son is heard saying that he thought his father might be “jealous” and that Joann “might be seeing someone else.”
According to Barber, investigators from the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, along with Knox County Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Bowers, said Joann Chandler died of a single .22-caliber gunshot wound to the head.
Bowers ordered the body taken to the Licking County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy.
Formal charges are expected to be filed today by Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher.
