On July 8, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio, authorities discovered the burning body of 42-year-old William Hamblin in a wooded area near the 1600 block of South High Street. Firefighters extinguished the flames, and Hamblin was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigations revealed that Hamblin had an ongoing dispute with 42-year-old Robert Beine and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Miranda King, over allegedly stolen property.
Witnesses reported that two days prior to the incident, Beine threatened to kill Hamblin, with King encouraging him. Surveillance footage from the night of the murder showed Beine, King, and an unidentified individual entering the area where Hamblin's body was later found, followed by the appearance of flames.
Authorities allege that Beine and King struck Hamblin with a blunt object, shot him, and then attempted to dispose of his body by setting it on fire. On August 20, arrest warrants were issued for both suspects, charging them with murder and gross abuse of a corpse. The U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team apprehended Beine and King on September 7 at a gas station in Columbus after a brief pursuit. Both were taken into custody and held at the Franklin County Jail pending their initial court appearances.
