Doyle Chumney, an 88-year-old man from Strasburg, Ohio, was tragically murdered on January 21, 2015. His wife, 79-year-old Lillian Chumney, was also killed in the incident. The couple was found dead inside their burned-out vehicle the day after they were reported missing. Their home had been ransacked, and authorities believe that the motive behind the crime was robbery.
Two men, Robert Clark and Jeffery Stewart, were arrested and charged with the murders.
According to the investigation, Clark and Stewart broke into the Chumneys' home, bound them with duct tape, and then drove them to a rural road in Coshocton County where Clark shot them. Stewart told investigators that Lillian Chumney was still alive when their car was torched. Clark received a life sentence without parole, while Stewart was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The case was prosecuted by the Coshocton County Prosecutor's Office with assistance from the Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Section and the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor's Office. The investigation involved a multi-jurisdictional task force, including agents from the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The brutal and senseless crime shocked the community and led to a nationwide manhunt for Clark, who was eventually captured in Arizona.
The Chumneys' family expressed gratitude to the law enforcement officers and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice. They also appreciated the plea agreement, which avoided a lengthy trial and potential death penalty sentencing phase, allowing them to find closure.
