RELATED: Arrest made in death of man found at Kettering insurance agency
Dehart is accused of killing Barton Wilson, 74, on March 9 at the Barton Wilson Insurance building. Kettering police began their investigation when an acquaintance went inside the unlocked business on March 10 and found Wilson dead, they said.
His death was ruled a homicide by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. Coroner Kent Harshbarger said the man died of multiple chop wounds to the head. No additonal details were available.
What led up to the slaying wasn’t detailed in the court records filed Thursday, but a statement of facts says Wilson’s wallet, car keys and a cordless phone were taken from the scene.
“DNA was extracted from the shorts that Barton Wilson had on at the time of his death and it was matched through CODIS to that of Joshua D. Dehart by the DNA Lab at the (Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation),” the statement of facts says.
Search warrants were issued in the case, the court document says.
“When first interviewed, Joshua Dehart agreed that his DNA should not be on the victim but he gave no reason that it was found there,” the statement of facts says. “BCI also analyzed Joshua Dehart’s cellphone records for the time of the incident and was able to place Joshua Dehart’s cell phone at the 2529 Wilmington Pike location at the time of the incident. When interviewed again and confronted with all of the evidence, Joshua Dehart confessed to hitting Barton Wilson in the head at least two times.”
RELATED: Death of Kettering man found in insurance business being investigated as a homicide
Information about what weapon was used or a connection between Dehart and Wilson wasn’t available Thursday.
Dehart was arrested at a house in the first block of South Irwin Street in Dayton, according to jail records. Dehart was booked into the Montgomery County Jail Wednesday night, jail records say. He is being held without bond, the records say.
A court date had not been set in the case as of Thursday afternoon.
About the Author