An Arizona couple was arrested after they allegedly made plans to kill a man they knew “for months” because he was a registered sex offender.
The Bullhead City Police Department announced in a press release on Monday, November 9, that Jacob Middlebrook and his girlfriend, Layne McIntosh, allegedly chose a remote “desert location” to get rid of Arron Warren‘s body after they killed him. The couple also allegedly “measured furniture/beds that could be large enough to cover the victim’s body along the side of the road.”
Middlebrook, 35, and McIntosh, 36, have been charged with first-degree murder.
Authorities said that the couple was motivated to kill Warren due to their hatred for registered sex offenders.
The police department explained in the news release that Warren was a Level 2 sex offender experiencing homelessness at the time he was killed. Meanwhile, Middlebrook and McIntosh were described as “local transients” who had known Warren “for the past few months.”
“Detectives discovered that the couple had expressed distaste for registered sex offenders and had planned the homicide in advance,” police said. “The couple reportedly predetermined the desert location where they intended to leave Warren’s body.”
Authorities learned about the killing when a motorist reported finding Warren’s body around 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, on Silver Creek Road.
Responding officers said they believed the man’s death was suspicious, and they called in detectives after they learned that Warren had multiple stab wounds.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers located Warren’s vehicle later that afternoon, which was parked at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada.
Middlebrook and McIntosh were then both arrested for the murder. It’s not currently clear how Middlebrook and McIntosh met Warren or how authorities connected them to the killing.
Bullhead City Police Chief Paul George reflected on the crime in a press release and warned against the misuse of information police share about registered sex offenders.
“When a Level 2 or Level 3 sex offender moves into our area or, more commonly, changes addresses, the Bullhead City Police Department shares that information as a public service to help keep residents informed,” George said. “While required notifications are mailed to residents living within an approximate 1,000 feet radius of an offender’s registered address, we go a step further by sharing these notifications on social media to reach a broader audience. … However, we want to be clear that we will not tolerate anyone using this information as a reason to threaten, intimidate, harass or harm another person.”
It’s not currently clear if Middlebrook and McIntosh have entered pleas or retained legal counsel following their arrests. The Bullhead City Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
