PAW PAW, Mich. (WHDH) — A 29-year-old Michigan man has been ordered held without bail after investigators say he deliberately hit and killed a 64-year-old woman with his pickup truck in order to engage in sex acts with her body.
Colby Martin, of White Pigeon, was arraigned Wednesday in Van Buren County District Court on a murder charge in connection with the death of Melody Rohrer, WWMT reported.
Martin fatally struck Rohrer with his pickup truck while she was on a walk near a campground in Van Burren County on Sept. 20, 2021, prosecutors said, according to the local news station.
He then allegedly moved her body to a wooded area.
Rohrer’s husband reported her missing and the following day, detectives found Martin with Rohrer’s cellphone sitting in a pickup truck that had severe front-end damage outside of a Walmart in Oshtemo Township, prosecutors said.
Martin allegedly led them to her body.
A search of Martin’s cellphone reportedly revealed that he searched for pornography involving dead or unconscious women immediately after Rohrer was reported missing.
Detectives say they also found condoms with Martin and Rohrer’s DNA in Martin’s vehicle and a trashcan near his home.
Martin was originally arrested on charges of manslaughter with an automobile, failure to stop at the scene of a crash, and concealing a body, according to the local news station, but Judge Michael McKay said during the arraignment Wednesday that probable cause had been established for a murder charge because evidence showed Martin intentionally struck Rohrer to engage in sexual acts with her body.
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