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Columbus Tenant Charged With Murder After Landlord Found in Trash Can

Prosecutors say physical evidence, suspect statements and a social-media post link the killing to an eviction dispute.

Overview

  • Bartholomew County prosecutors filed a formal murder charge against 49-year-old Rudy Minton on Tuesday, July 28, and he is due to appear at an initial hearing in Bartholomew Superior Court.
  • Police executed a welfare check at a Pearl Street home on July 21 after the victim’s son and another caller reported concerns, and officers later found 89-year-old Jerrell “Jerry” McCullough dead inside a trash container.
  • Investigators recovered blood inside the home, items belonging to McCullough, and observed bruises on Minton plus apparent blood spatter on his eyeglasses, all described in a probable-cause affidavit.
  • Court records say Minton made a Facebook post reading “Look everybody I’m sorry you’ll find out soon enough” and told officers statements including “I just thought I could pull it off, I’m sorry” and “There was no gun involved.”
  • The prosecutor’s office and police have completed searches of the home, the victim’s vehicle and the suspect’s belongings, but officials have not publicly released a final cause or manner of death pending further investigation and court processes.