Michael Howard Spangler  Unsolved homicide

• Case number: 1232
• Incident location: 109 1/2 South Main St., Apt 6
  North Baltimore, Ohio - Wood County
• Incident date: 2/7/1978
• Homicide date: 2/7/1978
• Date of birth: 1/24/1954
• Gender: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: White
• Height: 6'00"
• Weight: 145
• Hair color: Brown
• Law enforcement agency: Wood County Prosecutor's Office / North Baltimore Police Department

Details

On February 7, 1978 at 9:30am, the owner (and an occupant) of the apartments at 109 ½ South Main St., North Baltimore, OH reported to police that his apartment had been broken into and guns stolen. The method of entry was a square or rectangular object used to break a hole in the door, allowing the perpetrator to reach in and unlock the door. Stains on the floor of the apartment were later found to be from battery acid. The owner and another subject, both friends of Spangler, did not see him that day and he did not show up for work, so at approximately 4:30pm they went to his apartment (apt. 6) and found the body, at which time they called police. Spangler had been fatally shot. Found outside the door of Spangler’s apartment was a white bag containing an automobile battery consistent with the size of the hole in the owner’s door. A 17 year old juvenile who the owner had recently transported to North Baltimore from Florida, had been staying with Spangler. The 17 year old was missing. The white bag containing the battery was identified as belonging to the 17 year old juvenile. A witness identified the 17 year old as a hitchhiker he picked up at 5:10am on February 7th who was hitchhiking from North Baltimore to Florida. A warrant for the arrest of the juvenile was issued and he was arrested out of state and extradited back to Ohio. The Wood County Grand Jury failed to return an indictment for the murder and the juvenile was subsequently released.

Contact

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