Do you know who murdered Rene Combs? Rene Combs was last seen alive on August 4, 1991, when she left her home in Grove City, Ohio, to visit a cousin. She had planned to finalize details for a family reunion. However, she never made it to her cousin's home, and concern quickly grew when she did not appear for work the next day. Her husband, Derek Combs, attempted to locate her, and eventually reported her missing that evening.
Three days later, her black GMC Jimmy truck was found abandoned in the back of the parking lot of an apartment complex in Grove City. The vehicle was unlocked, with signs suggesting that someone had tried to clean its interior recently. Despite thorough searches, there were few clues at this point that could point to what had happened to Rene.
On August 12, 1991, Rene’s body was found in a wooded area off Holt Road in Grove City, concealed under brush. She was discovered nude, and her body showed signs of both strangulation and a blunt force head injury. Disturbingly, a ring appeared to have been forcibly removed from her finger. Additionally, a red ice scraper found at the scene was identified as having come from her vehicle. According to her family, Rene was known for being active in her community—she served on the Village Council, helped organize community picnics, and was involved in her children’s school activities.
The circumstances of Rene's death remain complex, with multiple potential leads that eventually led to dead ends. Her husband, Derek, reported having a vision of Rene being in a field, which prompted an aerial search by police, but it was actually her cousin, David Skeaton, who claimed he had a vision and subsequently led police to Rene’s body. Despite the discovery, Skeaton himself was murdered a few years later, under circumstances unrelated to Rene's case. Additionally, there were connections to Anthony West, a friend of Rene's, who admitted to pawning her diamond ring and using her bank cards, though he claimed Rene had given them to him willingly. Both Skeaton and West passed lie detector tests regarding their involvement.
The case has remained unsolved for over 30 years, with many possible threads but no definitive answers. Law enforcement continues to seek new information, and the investigation remains open. Rene Combs’ homicide is one of many cold cases that haunts both the authorities and her family, and they still hope that someone with knowledge of the events may come forward.
