An 18-year-old Cincinnati man is being held without bond at the Hamilton County Justice Center after Springfield Township police say he was arrested and charged with murder in the death of 66-year-old Rodney Gray, who was found dead inside a home.
Police identified the suspect as Caedan Hotchkiss, according to wcpo.com, which reported that officers responded to a home on Southmeadow Circle after an intrusion alarm went off and found Gray dead inside. Gray lived in Springfield Township, and police say Hotchkiss, who resided in Cincinnati, was arrested and charged with his murder.
Accounts differ on some of the finer details surrounding the discovery. WLWT reported that officers responded to the 760 block of South Meadow Circle for the intrusion alarm, while cincinnati.com described the home as being in the 700 block of Southmeadow Circle and reported that police found Gray’s body when they responded to the alarm at around 10 p.m. Tuesday. Springfield Township police did not specify in their release when officers actually responded or received the initial call, per WLWT.
Coroner Responded Overnight, Suspect Booked Without Bond
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene overnight, cincinnati.com reported. Hotchkiss was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center and is being held without bond, the outlet said, though it remains unclear when he will appear in court.
Ohio law lays out what a murder charge like this one can rest on. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.02, a person can be charged with murder for causing a death as a proximate result of committing or attempting to commit a first- or second-degree felony offense of violence, aside from certain exceptions carved out for other statutes.
Investigation Continues in Springfield Township
No additional details about the circumstances surrounding Gray’s death, a possible motive, or any relationship between Hotchkiss and Gray have been released. Springfield Township police have asked anyone with information about the investigation to call 513-729-1300.
