On September 3, 2022, 44-year-old white male Richard Eugene Whitaker Jr. of Mount Victory, Ohio, was found critically injured in his vehicle on County Road 135 near Township Road 110 in Kenton, Ohio. Responding to a report of a car stopped in the roadway with its headlights off, Hardin County Sheriff's deputies discovered Whitaker suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to Hardin Memorial Hospital and later airlifted to Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima, where he succumbed to his injuries at 10:56 a.m.
The incident was classified as a homicide by authorities. Later that day, a standoff occurred at a residence in Dunkirk, Ohio, leading to the arrest of 47-year-old Anthony Browne. Browne was taken into custody on unrelated charges of obstructing official business and resisting arrest. He was identified as a person of interest in the homicide investigation of Richard Eugene Whitaker Jr.
Further investigation revealed that Anthony Browne had been previously charged with menacing in July 2022, involving threats made via electronic communication. Despite being held in the Multi-County Jail in Marion, Ohio, on the unrelated charges, no formal charges have been filed against Browne in connection with Whitaker's death as of the latest available information.
Richard Eugene Whitaker Jr. was remembered as a caring individual who worked in sales at Rick’s Auto Sales and was a graduate of Hardin Northern High School. He was known for his love of family, animals, and old cars, and for his willingness to help others.
