WEST JEFFERSON — A man has been charged with four counts of murder stemming from the deadly shooting of four people, including a Springfield woman, in West Jefferson last month.
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The charges were filed Monday against John Steckel, 35, who is facing just the four preliminary charges, our partners at WBNS-TV in Columbus reported. Additional charges against Steckel are expected to be filed in a future grand jury hearing, West Jefferson Police Chief Chris Floyd said in a media release, posted to Facebook.
Steckel was in custody in the Franklin County Jail Monday, according to the station.
West Jefferson police were called May 24 on first reports of a person lying outside an apartment on Jackson Street. During the investigation, four people, one outside and three inside were found shot to death.
The victims were identified as:
- Jamie Danielle Lavender, 30, of Springfield
- Leon Billy Daniels, 38, of London
- Andrew Thomas Swindall, 45, of West Jefferson
- Shawon A. Wright, 45, of London
Police have said robbery may be a motive in the killings, according to WBNS-TV. Previously, investigators said they believed the shooting was a targeted incident, based on the location of the apartment.
“Something brought somebody to a dead-end street,” West Jefferson Police Chief Chris Floyd told WBNS-TV Monday.
Additional details were not released.
On Monday, May 24, 2021, at approximately 5:25 PM, the West Jefferson Police Department received a 911 call of a male...
Posted by West Jefferson Police Department on Monday, June 14, 2021
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