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The body of 18-year-old woman Samantha Guthrie — who was last seen on Sunday, November 4 — was recovered by New Franklin police officers in the woods near Rex Hill Road in Akron, Ohio on Saturday, November 44. While police have not officially announced the identity of the deceased, Guthrie’s father posted to Facebook on Sunday, November 25, saying that his daughter was found dead.
At the time of this writing, the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Ofice is expected to carry out an autopsy on Gutherie on Monday, November 26, to determine the cause and manner of death.
“Samantha has been found as of this morning. Please give the family time to start the grieving process. We are forever grateful for all of the love and support through this devastating time,” John Guthrie’s Facebook post read.
Prior to the discovery of her body, Guthrie was last seen in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, November 4 at a house in the 300 block of Lillian Street.
What Happened?
The body was found in a wooded area off Rex Hill Road, Akron Police Lt. Rick Edwards said. The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation led the crime scene investigation. A BCI spokesperson did not return a phone call Sunday seeking more information.
Edwards said no more details would be released until after the medical examiner’s office releases its findings. New Franklin police are also working the case.
Rex Hill Road is a 1.5-mile stretch that runs west off West Turkeyfoot Lake Road then juts south, running mostly parallel to Manchester Road. A large wooded area runs along most of the east side of the road, not far from a housing development off Manchester Road. The road’s west side includes a swampy area abutting the Tuscarawas River to the north and all industrial zoned properties owned by Cleveland and Pittsburgh firms.
Following Guthrie’s disappearance, police arrested four people who they believed were with Guthrie before she disappeared.
38-year-old Akron resident William Alexander was arrested on charges of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence and had his bail set at $100,000.
Court records indicate that Alexander admitted to investigating detectives that he was present at the Lillian Street house when Guthrie was shot and admitted to putting Guthrie’s body in the trunk of a Mitsubishi Eclipse so she could be moved to the wooded area where she was eventually found.
Furthermore, Dylan Brown, 39, Danny Hamby, 19, and Toni Kenney, 31, were all charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. Additionally, Brown and Kenny are facing counts of drug possession and carrying concealed weapons, respectively.
According to News 5 Cleveland, Brown confessed to being present when Guthrie was shot, moving the body, tearing up living room carpet, cleaning the floor and putting his bloody clothes in a bin.
As of Monday, November 26, all four remained in custody at the Summit County Jail.