(WOOSTER, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Wayne County Sheriff Travis Hutchinson announced today that a cooperative effort between state and local authorities and investigators from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York has resulted in the arrest of an Ohio man on allegations that he murdered his wife and daughter in 1995.
Robert Honsch, 70, is currently being held in the Wayne County Jail without bond following his arrest on Tuesday. He is accused of killing his wife, Marcia Honsch, 53, and daughter, Elizabeth Honsch, 16, in 1995. The bodies of the mother and daughter, which had been dumped in Massachusetts and Connecticut respectively, were found days apart in September/October of that year, but were only recently identified. The victims were both residents of the state of New York.
Authorities from the New Britain (Connecticut) Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, and New York State Police requested the assistance of the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in locating the suspect, who was found living under an alias in Dalton, Ohio.
Following the arrival of the out-of-state authorities to Ohio on Tuesday, Honsch was questioned, and a search warrant was obtained for his person and home. Scientists working at the BCI crime lab in Richfield, Ohio, then conducted prioritized forensic testing and returned results to investigators in less than an hour.
"Forensic scientists expedited the forensic analysis of the evidence which ultimately helped to link him to these crimes," said Attorney General DeWine. "The crimes this individual is accused of committing are incredibly heinous, and we are pleased that we were able to assist the out-of-state authorities in locating this suspect and getting him off the streets."
"This case is an excellent example of officers working together to hold criminals accountable regardless of geographical boundaries," said Sheriff Hutchinson. "My office is pleased to have played a role in providing closure to the families of the victims in this case."
In addition to BCI's special investigators and forensic scientists, authorities with BCI's criminal intelligence and crime scene units and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office also provided assistance.
Robert Honsch
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Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840