Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said it appears Rudd murdered his girlfriend before the standoff with law enforcement began, then killed himself in the basement in the early morning hours Monday.
The coroner was requested to the scene and removed two bodies at about 9:40 a.m.
The incident began shortly after 9 p.m. when a family member watching Bell's children called police to report that she had not checked in. Officers went 807 Nordale to check on her when they spoke with Rudd.
"We were directed to an alternate location, a bar, where the female was allegedly at," Biehl said. When she was not located, police returned to the residence and spoke through the door to Rudd again. "He said he was holding her hostage."
At that point police attempted to enter the home by force and the male said he had a gun.
SWAT officers and the Regional Emergency Response Team were called in to set up a perimeter around the house and hostage negotiators responded.
Police used bullhorns to communicate with Rudd throughout the night, but Biehl said they had no further contact with him after midnight.
Neighbors said the chaotic scene overnight was uncharacteristic of their quiet neighborhood. They also said the couple who lived at the house was new to the neighborhood.
"I was lying in bed listening to the guy on the (bullhorn) all night," said Gary Ward. He wasn't asked to evacuate, but some neighbors were forced to leave their homes overnight.
Monday morning, police were able to force entry through a basement window and could see two bodies inside. Biehl said the coroner's office will make official determinations as to cause and time of death.
"Based on what we are able to tell at this time, she was murdered before we arrived," Biehl said. He said Bell, "suffered a violent death," and likely died of blunt force trauma to the head. She was also stabbed in the torso multiple times. Rudd hung himself in the basement.
Biehl said there were no working firearms in the home. A rifle seen by police turned out to be a toy.
A recording of the 911 call placed by Bell's uncle on Sunday night reveals he was concerned about her disappearance and thought Rudd was lying about her whereabouts.
"She always has to call her kids to make sure they got their homework done... on Sunday. She's not around," the male caller said. "I'm scared." He said Rudd claimed Bell was at Pat's Bar on Linden Avenue, but the family had already checked there and had not located her.
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