Greene County prosecutor David Hayes said the two cases were not related. According to the indictment, the alleged events occurred on or about Sept. 20, 2019, the day an apartment Atha-Arnett was living at was searched before he was arrested.
According to a Dayton Daily News report at the time, neighbors reported seeing a computer carried out, along with other items. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted Greene County investigators, including the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, in the search of that apartment.
He has pleaded not guilty and remains in the Greene County jail, where he has been since his arrest in November 2019. Bond in the murder case is set at $900,000.
Atha-Arnett also is accused of killing 26-year-old Leonid “Lonya” Clark in January 2019. Mushroom hunters in Glen Helen discovered Clark’s body near the Little Miami River in April 2019. A jury trial in the case was scheduled for February, but was canceled. No date is currently set for a trial. A hearing is set for April 27.
In that case, Atha-Arnett faces two charges of murder, each an unclassified felony, and one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony. If he is convicted of the murder charge, he would face 15 years to life in prison.
Clark’s father, Eric Clark, said his adopted son and Atha-Arnett were longtime friends but had an on-again, off-again relationship, where they, “were best friends one week and wouldn’t speak to each other the next.”
Lonya Clark died of multiple stab wounds to the head and neck areas. Defensive wounds were apparent on the victim’s hands and arms. Clark’s body had been submerged for a prolonged period before the body was found, according to preliminary findings from the autopsy.
Clark was well known in Yellow Springs, where he frequently stayed with friends.
About the Author
