Murder charges filed against man accused in Darke County double homicide

DARKE COUNTY — A man is facing charges after allegedly murdering two people in Darke County mid-April.

Charges were filed Friday against Adam Uchyn, 39, in the Darke County Common Pleas Court. He was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated robbery, according to court records.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Darke County Sheriff’s deputies ID victims in double homicide

Uchyn is accused of murdering Michelle Phipps, 63, and James Donnelly, 57, who were stabbed to death in the 4200 block of Weavers-Fort Jefferson Road.

On April 13, Darke County Sheriff Deputies responded to the home around 6:30 p.m. on a 911 call. Upon arrival, Adam Uchyn met deputies at the driveway. Uchyn is a resident of the address and claimed to have made the call. He had filed a report alleging a theft and assault had occurred at the address, and the perpetrator had left the scene.

The Darke County Sheriff’s Office said it was a ruse to prevent deputies from discovering the murder had likely occurred. Investigators now believe the 911 caller is Phipps. The call abruptly ended with only the address provided by the caller. Dispatchers attempted to call the number back, but there was no answer.

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On April 14, shortly before 5 a.m., two women came into the Darke County Sheriff’s Office to report a possible homicide, according to Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker. Deputies responded to the house to investigate and found a man’s and a woman’s bodies.

“Homicides don’t happen often in Darke County, but when they do, we’re going to do our best, we’re going to do a thorough investigation and get to the bottom of it, and we will hold the responsible party responsible and see that they get prosecuted,” Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker previously told News Center 7.

Uchyn was later identified as a person of interest by the Darke County Sheriff’s Office.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Person of interest in custody in Darke County double homicide case

The sheriff’s office received a notification from the Chicago Police that Adam Uchyn, 39, was in custody on a felony probation warrant unrelated to the homicide and was booked in the Cook County Jail.

An arrest was issued Friday with special instructions for Uchyn to be transferred from Chicago, Illinois, to the Darke County Jail.

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