Homeowner charged with murder

An Ironton man has been charged with murder after deputies found a man dead outside his Ironton residence.

Around 11:35 p.m. on Monday, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office got a call about a possible shooting at 555 Township Road 252. When deputies arrived, they found a man lying dead just outside the residence from apparent gunshots to the upper torso. The man was identified as  Homer Fred Crank, 42, address unknown.

The homeowner, James W. Moore, 49, told deputies that Crank, an acquaintance, had come to his house and a disturbance ensued.

Moore was detained and deputies recovered the handgun from him.
Detectives got a search warrant for the residence and property. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting with processing the scene and collecting evidence.

After interviewing Moore, detectives arrested him for murder, a first-degree felony. He is being held at the Lawrence County Jail. The investigation into the incident is continuing.

Moore will be arraigned at 9 a.m. on Friday at the Lawrence County Municipal Court in Chesapeake.

Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless said the case is still being investigated and that the cause of the fight between the two men wasn’t being released yet.

“These two guys didn’t get along and we are trying to piece all the puzzle together,” he said. “It is a tragic situation when someone dies, it just ruins so many lives.”

Crank’s body has been sent to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy and the sheriff’s office is hoping to have preliminary results back soon.

The Lawrence County Drug and Major Crimes Task Force, Ohio BCI and the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office are assisting in the investigation.