BODY MAY BE FUGITIVE'S

SOUGHT IN SLAYING OF JOGGER

Rodeheffer's farm, located at 2335 McFeely-Petry Road in Mississinawa Twp., is the site where the body of Lynn Topp, 19, was found buried on March 6. Police have been searching for Rodeheffer since the body was found.

Authorities said Saturday the body had not been positively identified, but James P. Rion, an attorney representing Rodeheffer's son, said Rodeheffer's wife believed the dead man was her husband.

The body was found about 6:30 p.m. Saturday by a farmer living at the Ohio 49 farm. A statement released by Darke County Sheriff Toby Spencer said the sheriff's office is investigating this incident as "a mysterious death."

Spencer said the farmer who found the body grew suspicious after smelling a bad odor in the barn. Although the farmer had been to the barn daily for three weeks, he had not noticed anything wrong until Saturday.

Spencer said the man's body was found "tunnelled" inside several bales of hay, with a long gun, either a rifle or shotgun, beside the body.

The body had one gunshot wound to the head. The wound appeared to be self-inflicted, but Spencer said the coroner would have to make that determination.

Hein said positive identification of the body will have to wait for dental or fingerprint records and will probably not come until Monday. Spencer said he expected Rodeheffer's wife to view the body today.

"I guess I feel like it is" Rodeheffer's body, Spencer said.

Both Spencer and Hein said the man did not appear to have died within the last day or so.

"It does not look like a recent death," Hein said. "Forensics are going to have to give us the answer."

Sheriff's deputies do not assume it is a suicide, Hein said.

Other than Rodeheffer, there are no other missing persons reports in the county, Hein said.

"If it is him, at least there will be a lot less fear on the streets," Hein said.

Sheriff's investigators believe Topp, a student at Wright State University's Lake Campus in Celina, was abducted Feb. 21 as she walked or jogged on a rural road. Spencer previously said he believed Rodeheffer had buried her body in a field behind his home.

In the weeks since the discovery of Topp's body, many residents in northern Darke County have been living on edge. Spencer took the unusual step last week to publicly ask residents not to arm themselves and go in search of Rodeheffer.

Spencer said authorities are still investigating Topp's death to determine whether more than one person was involved.

Rion represents Shawn Rodeheffer, Timothy Rodeheffer's 21-year-old son, who had been charged with obstruction of justice in the case. The charge was later dropped.

Rion said the family told him they believe the dead body found Saturday evening is that of Timothy Rodeheffer.

"It's a tragedy; the whole thing is a tragedy," Rion said. "I think he killed her and couldn't live with himself and committed suicide."

Rion said he had no direct knowledge of the body's condition and did not know whether physical evidence supports his theory.

Joe Topp, Lynn Topp's father, said he heard about the body's discovery, but didn't know if it was Rodeheffer.

"It could be another one of his victims for all I know," he said.

"If it is him, that will bring some finality for me. That's what I've been waiting for," Topp said.

Topp said he would have preferred it if Rodeheffer had been captured alive to be questioned.

"It could be that this wasn't the first time he's done something like this. Maybe if he had been caught, they could have given finality to some other family."