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Kokomo man kills self after assaulting relatives, policeHoward County Sheriff’s Department, Kokomo Police Department and State Police were involved in the three-hour standoff at Ron Odell’s home Monday. (KT photos by Tim Bath)By TODD D. BURLAGETribune staff writer^ dead . and. asheriff deputy narrowly escaped injury when a Howard County man fired a shotgun at the officer before shooting himself to death Monday.Ronald Odell, 40, 2573 W. Road 50 South, was pronounced dead, in a ravine outside his home from, a single gunshot to his chest, Howard County Sheriff Jerry Marr. The suicide ended a three-hour standoff with about 35 officers from several departments,“Obviously it would appear that he had his mind made up on how it was going to end and it did, Marr saidAccording to sheriff reports, Odell’s daughter and sister-in-law were visiting his rural county home across the street from Mohr Construction when Odell became agitated, striking his daughter in thehead with a coffee cup before physically and sexually assaulting his sister-in-law,. .Both wdrhen were treated, and released from Si Josephenter ic; Health Center for head injuries.’We believe he struck (the sister-in-law) with some sort of wooden stick. We think possibly a baseball bat,” said Sheriff Del Don Howard.Odell’s daughter escaped from the house and fled on foot. to Martin Marietta Aggregates, 2400 W, Defen-baugh SL, where she called 911 to report a rape in progress.Deputy Greg Hargrove was the first to respond. Marr said that when Hargrove arrived, Odell was on his back porch, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun. He reportedly fired a single shot at Hargrove which missed. Odell then reportedly ran to a thin line of trees which border the east end of Odell’s property. He hid in the thicket for about two hoursSWAT teams return from the woods where Odell took refuge and killed himself.while police cautiously searched the area.An Indiana Stale Police airplane and deputies with K-9s were used in the search but it wasn’t until area SWAT teams arrived that a single gun shot was heard coming from the woods about 1230 p.m. Several minutes after the shot was heard, officers found Odell slumped in the ravine.“As we closed in on him he inflicted a self-sustained gun wound to the chest, Marrsaid. 'The sister-in-law made the statement that he had said he had cancer and was not going to live through the day. However his wife said that is not so and she knew nothing of him having cancer so we are getting contradictory statements.”Odell was arrested in 1987 on a charge of criminal confinement He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years probation with two years in prison suspended.
Newspaper Details
Kokomo Tribune
Kokomo, Indiana, US
Tue, May 18, 1999
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Kokomo-Howard C.
IN, USA 12 Apr 2023
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