Hamilton — What Hamilton police first described as an apparent suicide has been reclassified as a homicide, and a 37-year-old man is now sitting in the county jail on a murder charge.
Officers were called to the 200 block of Race Street just before 6 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, where a woman was found dead. That discovery quickly escalated into a full criminal investigation. Police say Raphael Francis was arrested later that day and is charged with murder. He is being held in the county jail.
According to FOX19, officers initially believed the woman’s death was self-inflicted. After preliminary inquiries, investigators changed course and treated the case as a homicide. The outlet reports that Francis, 37, was taken to the Butler County Jail after his arrest and remains in custody while the courts sort out the next steps. FOX19 attributed the information to the Hamilton Police Department.
Where the suspect is being held
The Butler County Sheriff's Office runs the county corrections facilities and posts a public jail roster with custody and booking information. The Butler County Sheriff's Office lists the Corrections Center in Hamilton as the facility that houses pretrial detainees and provides contact numbers for jail records. For anyone trying to confirm where Francis is being held or to check on booking details, the sheriff’s roster is the official source.
Investigation underway
Hamilton police have not said what, specifically, led them to shift from calling the death an apparent suicide to treating it as a homicide. Detectives say the investigation is active and ongoing, with more information to come as they build the case.
As reported by FOX19, authorities have not announced any additional charges or laid out a timeline for court hearings. Investigators are asking anyone with information about what happened on Race Street to contact the Hamilton Police Department.
Legal status
Francis faces a murder charge, and his case will move through the Butler County court system, starting with formal filings and an eventual arraignment. The county’s court website offers public access to dockets and inmate searches for those tracking how the case progresses. The Butler County Court provides online tools to monitor filings and upcoming hearings.
