Man indicted on murder after body found in shallow grave in Darke County

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A Greenville man was indicted on a murder charge in the death of a 30-year-old man found in a shallow grave last month at a poultry farm in Darke County.

Dean Baker, 35, initially was charged with tampering with evidence. A Darke County grand jury last week indicted Baker on tampering with evidence, murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of Corey Fleming, according to court records.

Baker is accused of killing Fleming on or about Aug. 7 or 8, according to the indictment.

Ashlee Fletcher, left, and Dean Baker. Photo courtesy Greenville Police Department.

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A joint investigation involving the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department and Union City Police Department led investigators on Aug. 20 to a commercial poultry farm in Brown Twp., where they found Fleming’s body in a shallow grave, Sheriff Mark Whittaker said.

Fleming, 30, was an off-and-on resident of Darke County and had been reported missing by his family to Union City police. The same day Fleming was reported missing, a person reached out to Greenville police with information regarding Fleming, prompting that department to also open an investigation.

During a press conference on Aug. 23, Whittaker identified Baker and 37-year-old Ashlee Fletcher, also of Greenville, as suspects wanted for questioning. They were arrested Aug. 24 at a truck stop near Ocala, Florida.

They were extradited to Ohio and are currently being held in the Darke County Jail.

Fletcher initially was charged with having weapons under disability. She was indicted last week for tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

The tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse occurred between Aug. 7 and 20, the same dates listed for Baker’s charges.

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