A man suspected of murdering four people in Ohio who he believed controlled his mind by using “telepathy” has been arrested.
According to Butler Township Police Chief John Porter, a two-day manhunt for 39-year-old Stephen Marlow ended on Saturday after the Lawrence Police Department in Kansas captured him at around 10 p.m. The arrest came after the man allegedly went on a rampage about 650 miles away in Butler Township, Ohio – killing an elderly couple, 82-year-old Clyde Knox and 78-year-old Eva Knox, and a mother-daughter, 41-year-old Sarah Anderson and 15-year-old Kayla Anderson.
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According to the Dayton Daily News, police officers were dispatched to the area at around 11:45 a.m. on Friday after reports of shots fired came in. When law enforcement arrived on the scene, the four victims were discovered at “multiple crime scenes” suffering from gunshot wounds. The local outlet reported that the victims were found in two separate homes where they lived, one of which was on the same street as the home owned by Marlow’s parents. Each victim was pronounced dead at the scene by the Butler Township Fire Department.
At the time, police warned on Facebook that anyone who spotted Marlow, who had fled the scene, to “not approach him as he is still likely to be armed and dangerous.” They added in a follow-up post on Saturday:
“Stephen Marlow remains the primary suspect. We have no current information to make us believe others were involved in these horrific acts. Following the shootings, it appears Stephen Marlow drove to Interstate 70 and headed west. At this time, we believe that he has left Ohio. Law enforcement agencies in multiple states have been made aware of this and are on high alert.”
Such an unimaginable tragedy…
Porter says they are trying to determine a motive and whether “mental illness played any role.” However, a video circulating on social media of Marlow appeared to provide his explanation of the horrific slayings, in which he claimed to be a “targeted individual” and victim of “mind control.” He said in the clip:
“I will be launching the first counter-attack against mind control in human history. I want to be very clear, this will not be an active shooter event. I will be executing some of the people responsible for activating active shooters. If I happen to survive, please visit me in prison, only to see the same man you’ve almost known. … I will gladly die to expose this. … If I can help another targeted individual fight back against telepathy, then the sacrifice will be worth it.”
The police chief noted on Facebook Saturday that investigators are “well aware that there is a video of Mr. Marlow that has surfaced on the internet.” You can see the entire video (below):
Butler Township Police Chief John Porter talked about a video of Stephen Marlow that was circulated over the web. Porter said it is believed to have been published after the shootings. The wording in this video may be disturbing. pic.twitter.com/Ii2n9VOeLT
— Dayton 24/7 Now (@dayton247now) August 6, 2022
Porter also offered his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones during a press conference on Saturday, expressing:
“I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the families who lost loved ones yesterday. This has been a difficult time for all of us in the Butler Twp. community and surrounding areas. All of us here at the Butler Twp. Police Department, as well as all of our local state and federal partners here today are working continuously to provide justice for all of the victims and their families.”
Our hearts go out to the victims’ loved ones following this horrible attack. If you would like, you can donate to the Anderson family’s GoFundMe page helping to raise funds for their funeral HERE.
[Image via FBI, ABC News/YouTube]
