The Lead Off

• A 62-year-old man has been indicted in connection with a 1985 Ohio murder after investigators linked him to evidence recovered nearly four decades ago.
• Authorities say Randy McCallister was identified as a suspect in the death of auto parts salesman John Warren.
• Investigators say evidence recovered from multiple locations, including behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Georgia, helped solve the case.

Evidence from 1985 investigation leads to indictment

MIDDLETOWN, OHIO (WOWO) A 62-year-old man has been indicted in connection with a 1985 murder in Middletown after investigators say evidence collected nearly 41 years ago helped identify him as a suspect.

Randy McCallister was indicted by a Warren County grand jury last week in the death of John Warren, an auto parts company representative who was killed while traveling for work according to WCMH.

Authorities say McCallister and a now-deceased accomplice were identified as suspects in a fatal robbery that led to Warren’s death.

McCallister is charged with aggravated murder and murder.

Victim found dead inside hotel room

According to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Warren was staying at a Holiday Inn in Middletown on Oct. 16, 1985, while attending business meetings.

The following day, investigators found Warren dead inside his hotel room.

Authorities said several of Warren’s personal belongings, along with his 1985 Oldsmobile, had been stolen.

The former Holiday Inn where Warren was killed has since been demolished.

Evidence recovered hundreds of miles away

Investigators said some of Warren’s stolen property and additional evidence were later recovered in Dalton, Georgia, after being discarded behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant.

The location was nearly 400 miles away from the scene of the killing.

Warren’s stolen vehicle was eventually found in Redington Beach, Florida, on the Gulf Coast, nearly 1,000 miles from Middletown.

Authorities said evidence collected from all three locations was submitted for laboratory analysis.

Investigators later used that evidence to identify McCallister as a suspect in the case.

Charges and potential sentence

McCallister faces charges of aggravated murder and murder.

If convicted as charged, authorities say he could face a sentence of 20 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The case was presented to a grand jury nearly 41 years after Warren’s death.

What happens next

McCallister will proceed through the court process following his indictment. Additional court proceedings are expected as prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare the case.

The Takeaway

• Investigators say evidence collected after the 1985 killing of John Warren remained part of the investigation for decades before helping identify Randy McCallister as a suspect.
• Authorities say the case involved evidence recovered from multiple locations, including Georgia and Florida, after Warren’s belongings and vehicle were stolen following his death.
• McCallister is now facing aggravated murder and murder charges, with a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison without parole if convicted.