By CoinWeek News Staff….
John M. Turner, a 79-year-old coin and jewelry store owner, was shot and killed during a robbery on Saturday, November 7. A suspect in the case was arrested on Monday, November 9.
Around 3:30 p.m. Central Time on the 7th, someone robbed John’s Coin & Jewelry Shop at 61 West Main Street in Austin, Indiana. One of Turner’s family members came by the store a short time later and discovered the coin dealer’s body. The family member then called 911.
Austin City Police and Scott County Emergency Medical Services were the first to respond. Initially, the situation was believed to be a medical emergency but doctors and the Scott County Coroner soon realized that the injury to Mr. Turner’s head was a gunshot wound. At this point, the investigation into Turner’s death became a homicide investigation.
At the request of Austin City Police, Indiana State Police detectives and crime scene investigators helped examine the crime scene and follow up on leads into the identity of the culprit. The Scott County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the Scottsburg City Police Department, also helped with the investigation.
An autopsy by the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday, November 9 determined the preliminary cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head. The official cause of death will not be determined until the full autopsy results are processed, which can take up to six weeks.
On the same day, items of interest in the robbery and murder of John M. Turner were found at a Scottsburg residence when police officers attempted to serve warrants on two of four individuals arrested on charges unrelated to the Turner case. Scottsburg Police arrested Matthew James “Matt” Caudill, 21, and his girlfriend Ginger Cox, 23, for auto theft after a stolen truck was found days earlier on his mother’s property where the two were staying. Matthew’s brother Christopher “Chris” Caudill, 31, was also arrested on drug charges. The brothers were found hiding in the woods around the property. Matthew and Christopher’s mother Patricia Caudill, 50, was arrested on one count of harboring a fugitive as she tried to hide Ms. Cox in the residence.
Jewelry and various other goods from Turner’s store were found inside the house as the police acted on the search warrant. A wider search of Ms. Caudill’s home and property is underway.
Austin City Police Chief Donald Spicer said that the evidence was sufficient to charge Matthew Caudill with the armed robbery of John Turner and his coin shop. Caudill was also wanted in regards to an October 23 robbery at a local Fuel Mart gas station.
Police could not confirm whether the murder weapon had been recovered.
Matthew Caudill and Ginger Cox are being held for 15 days before they are eligible for bond, which will be set at $45,000 according Scott County Superior Court. Christopher Caudill will be brought before a judge in Circuit Court. A hearing for Patricia Caudill is set for Thursday, November 12.
As noted on wave3.com, John Turner was survived by his wife, two daughters, six brothers and sisters and five grandchildren.
Sources
http://local.nixle.com/alert/5526839/
http://www.wlky.com/news/Southern-Indiana-store-owner-killed-in-robbery/36342316
