(LOGAN, Ohio) -- As part of his Ohio Unsolved Homicides Initiative, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is asking for information regarding the death of a Chillicothe-area businessman.
Detectives with the Hocking County Sheriff's Office today announced a new $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the death of Robert "Mike" Yoder.
Yoder, 56, was found dead outside of his Hocking County home on Wolfe Road on the morning of April 11, 2010. He died from massive blunt force trauma to the head.
The victim owned The Potting Shed greenhouse on Pleasant Valley Road in Chillicothe, as well as multiple rental units in Ross County.
Investigators believe burglary or theft was the motive.
"During my time investigating this case I haven't found a single person who disliked Mr. Yoder," said Hocking County Detective Ed Downs. "There is no doubt that someone out there knows exactly what happened, and we hope this new reward will serve as some incentive to come forward."
Attorney General DeWine's Ohio Unsolved Homicides Initiative was developed in September 2012 in an effort to create a statewide database of the approximately 5,000 unsolved killings in the state. So far, law enforcement agencies have submitted 1,305 unsolved homicide cases to the database.
The goal of the initiative is to bring widespread visibility to cases, increase the possibility for tips, and help jurisdictions compare details of unsolved crimes.
"We continue to urge law enforcement to submit their unsolved homicides to the database," said Attorney General DeWine. "There are so many families out there with unanswered questions about what happened to their loved ones, and we hope this database can help lead authorities to some answers."
Anyone with information on the identity of the person or people involved in the death of Robert "Mike" Yoder should contact the Hocking County Sheriff's Office at 740-385-2131. Anonymous tips can also be made through the Hocking County Sheriff's website.
Those with information on this or any other unsolved homicide can also contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at 855-BCI-OHIO or submit a tip through the Ohio Attorney General's website.
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Additional Resources:
Ohio Unsolved Homicides Database
Robert "Mike" Yoder Database Entry
Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840