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INCIDENT / ARREST REPORT

Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department
711 Jackson Avenue
Oxford, MS 38655

 _X_ INCIDENT
     ___ Juvenile
     ___ Senior
           Citizen
     ___ Gang
 ___ ARREST
     ___ Child
           Abuse
     ___ Domestic
     ___ Involved
           Alcohol
  CASE NUMBER:
  001312-13C-2024
Date Reported:
  3-13-2024
 Time Reported:
  10:28 AM
 OFFENSE:
  TBD
 STATUTE:
  
  ___ Committed
  ___ Attempted
 OFFENSE:
  
 STATUTE:
  
  ___ Committed
  ___ Attempted
 OFFENSE:
 STATUTE:
  ___ Committed
  ___ Attempted
 Location of Offense (Exact address, include Room/ Apt. No.)
  Rowan Oak
  Old Taylor Road
  Oxford, Mississippi
 Date of Offense:
  3-13-2024
 Time of Offense:
  TBD
 Location of Arrest (Exact address, include Room/Apt. No.)
  N/A
 Date of Arrest:
  N/A
 Time of Arrest:
  N/A
 Reporting Officer:
  Det. Sam Murphy
 Unit Number:
  633
 Assisting Officer:
  Det. Ted Armstrong
 Unit Number:
  615

 

Persons

PERSON 1
 Type:
 Victim
 Category:
 Adult
 Foul Play Suspected
 Yes
 Name:
 Rolf Warner
 Alias/Street Name/ Nickname
 unknown
 Vic/Offender Relationship
 unknown
 Race
 White
 Height
 5' 10"
 Weight
 180 lbs.
 Hair
 Brown
 Eyes
 Blue
 Sex
  M
 Shoes
 Black
 Jacket/Coat
 Black
 Shirt
 White
 Pants
 Blue denim
 Skirt/Dress
  N/A
 Age
     37
 DOB
 7/11/1986
 Soc. Security #
 N/A
 Scars/Marks/Tattoos
 none visible
 Injury Extent
 Fatal
 Injury Description
 sharp force wound to the head
 Address
 unknown
 Res Phone unknown
 Bus Phone unknown
 Occupation
 unknown
 Employer/School
 unknown
 Employer Address
 unknown

 

PERSON 2
 Type:
 Witness
 Category:
 Adult
 Foul Play Suspected
 N/A
 Name:
 Ben Moreland
 Alias/Street Name/ Nickname
 none
 Vic/Offender Relationship
 unknown
 Race
 White
 Height
 5' 10"
 Weight
 180 lbs.
 Hair
 Brown
 Eyes
 Blue
 Sex
 M
 Shoes
  Brown
 Jacket/Coat
 Navy blue
 Shirt
 White
 Pants
 Navy blue coveralls
 Skirt/Dress
 N/A
 Age
     28
 DOB
 11/8/1995
 Soc. Security #
 XXX-XX-XXXX
 Scars/Marks/Tattoos
 none visible
 Injury Extent
 none visible
 Injury Description
 N/A
 Address
 603 Tyler Avenue, Oxford, MS
 Res Phone 236-XXXX
 Bus Phone 915-XXXX
 Occupation
 Groundskeeper
 Employer/School
 University of Mississippi
 Employer Address
 University Avenue, University, MS

 

PERSON 3
 Type:
 Witness
 Category:
 Adult
 Foul Play Suspected
 N/A
 Name:
 Steve Potter
 Alias/Street Name/ Nickname
 none
 Vic/Offender Relationship
 unknown
 Race
 White
 Height
 6' 0"
 Weight
 180 lbs.
 Hair
 Brown
 Eyes
 Brown
 Sex
 M
 Shoes
  Brown
 Jacket/Coat
 Navy blue
 Shirt
 White
 Pants
 Navy blue coveralls
 Skirt/Dress
 N/A
 Age
     28
 DOB
 1/23/1996
 Soc. Security #
 XXX-XX-XXXX
 Scars/Marks/Tattoos
 none visible
 Injury Extent
 none visible
 Injury Description
 N/A
 Address
 1756 Jefferson Avenue, Oxford, MS
 Res Phone 232-XXXX
 Bus Phone 915-XXXX
 Occupation
 Groundskeeper
 Employer/School
 University of Mississippi
 Employer Address
 University Avenue, University, MS

 

PERSON 4
 Type:
 Witness
 Category:
 Adult
 Foul Play Suspected
 N/A
 Name:
 Pilar Adams
 Alias/Street Name/ Nickname
 none
 Vic/Offender Relationship
 unknown
 Race
 White
 Height
 5' 2"
 Weight
 110 lbs.
 Hair
 Brown
 Eyes
 Brown
 Sex
 F
 Shoes
  Black
 Jacket/Coat
 Navy blue
 Shirt
 White
 Pants
 Navy blue coveralls
 Skirt/Dress
 N/A
 Age
     26
 DOB
 5/15/1997
 Soc. Security #
 XXX-XX-XXXX
 Scars/Marks/Tattoos
 none visible
 Injury Extent
 none visible
 Injury Description
 N/A
 Address
 119 Chestnut Street, Oxford, MS
 Res Phone 234-XXXX
 Bus Phone 915-XXXX
 Occupation
 Groundskeeper
 Employer/School
 University of Mississippi
 Employer Address
 University Avenue, University, MS

 

Reporting Officer's Narrative

  REPORTING OFFICER'S NARRATIVE (Brief narrative of the facts surrounding the offense and the arrest.)

At 10:06 a.m., Dispatch received a 911 call regarding the discovery of a body at Rowan Oak. The caller identified herself as Sherry Chapman, Office Manager at the University of Mississippi Physical Plant. The caller reported that Physical Plant staff members had found a body on the grounds of Rowan Oak and requested that she notify authorities.

Unit #224 (Officer Steve Harding) was immediately dispatched to the scene. Detectives Armstrong and Murphy were assigned and proceeded directly to the scene. Coroner's Inspector Luwinda Johnson was notified at R/Is' request to respond to scene. Reporting Officer (R/O) Steve Harding arrived at the scene at 10:13 a.m. At R/O's request, Unit #216 (Officer Kennon Winters) was dispatched to the scene to provide backup and assistance and arrived at 10:20 a.m.

Reporting Investigators (R/I) arrived at the scene at 10:28 a.m. and found that R/Os Harding and Winters had secured the area. Upon arrival, the environmental conditions were as follows: Weather: Mostly cloudy; Ambient temperature: 63º F / 17º C; Relative Humidity: 79%.

R/O Harding made the following verbal report, which is stated in summary and not verbatim.

R/O Harding said he was met at the scene by an adult male, who identified himself as Ben Moreland. The witness Moreland escorted R/O Harding to the location of the body, where R/O Harding observed a second adult male witness, who identified himself as Steve Potter. R/O Harding confirmed the presence of the body and reported same to Dispatch.

R/Os Harding and Winters then secured the scene and detained witnesses at the scene, including Moreland, Potter, and an adult female, who arrived on the scene shortly after R/Os and identified herself as Pilar Adams.

R/O Harding further stated that, to the best of his knowledge, the following personnel have had occasion to enter the crime scene area and must be documented by CSU personnel: R/O Winters, witnesses Ben Moreland and Steve Potter, and himself.

R/O Harding said witness Pilar Adams was not permitted to enter the crime scene area.

Click to enlarge

R/Is then proceeded to the location of the body. R/Is observed a lifeless human body, apparently a male in his late thirties, lying on the ground partially supported by a tree, approximately 50 feet southwest of the Rowan Oak museum building.

Visual inspection indicated the victim was wearing a black medium-to-heavyweight coat, a white cotton T-shirt, black denim jeans, and black shoes. The body lay face up with the left arm alongside the body. The right arm was extended to the side at an approximate 45º angle to the body. The head of the body faced in a northeasterly direction, and the feet in a southwesterly direction. A passport recovered from the pocket of the victim's coat tentatively identified him as Rolf Warner, a German citizen.

Click to enlarge

The body displayed signs of trauma to the head. No other injuries were immediately apparent. Pending official analysis by the coroner's office, initial observation indicated the deceased was apparently the victim of a single, penetrating blow to the head.

R/Is also observed a digital camera and a pickaxe with reddish-brown stains in the immediate vicinity of the body. R/Is also noted possible blood stains on the ground within a 10-foot radius of the body.

R/Is interviewed the witness Ben Moreland at the scene. Additional interviews with other witnesses are being scheduled.

Before leaving, R/I Murphy instructed CSU to seal the scene upon completion or end-of-day suspension of processing. CSU to notify R/Is of progress by the end of this date. As of this filing, CSU is still actively processing at the scene.

The body of the deceased was remanded into the custody of Coroner's Inspector Luwinda Johnson. The deceased was removed from the scene at 11:21 a.m. and transported to the Coroner's Office for autopsy. A preliminary autopsy report is expected within fourteen days of this report.

Evidence was remanded into the custody of Forensics Officer T. R. Douglas for transport to the state crime lab for routine analysis. CSU is expected to submit an inventory of items taken into evidence within fourteen days of this report, with detailed report(s) of their findings to follow at a later date.

 

  DEFENDANT'S VERSION/REMARKS (What did the defendant say?)

N/A

 

 REPORTING OFFICER  Sam Murphy  DATE REPORTED  3-13-2024
 REPORTING OFFICER  //Sam Murphy
 Signature
 633
 Unit Number
 3-13-2024
 Date
 ASSISTING OFFICER  //Ted Armstrong
 Signature
 615
 Unit Number
 3-13-2024
 Date

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