Sheriff: Columbus Man Admits Involvement In Mother’s Murder, Is Arrested

COLUMBUS, Ohio—A man was arrested Monday on suspicion of aggravated murder after a woman was fatally shot and her son was apparently abducted and left at a rest stop in Madison County Friday.

It’s a story NBC 4 has been following all weekend, and Lauren Diedrich had an update Monday.

Authorities arrested 22-year-old Charlie Myers of Columbus on suspicion of aggravated murder Monday. He’s in custody in Franklin County.

The 4-year-old boy, William, was found Friday at a rest stop off Interstate 70 by a traveling couple.

William told the couple his mom had been shot and the gunman left him there.

When police went to William’s Dayton-area home, they found 29-year-old Jennifer Nelson shot to death and her vehicle missing.

Franklin County deputies found what they believed was Nelson’s vehicle, a black Oldsmobile Alero, along West Broad Street near the Westland Flea Market Sunday. That was about 25 miles from the rest stop where the boy was found.

Franklin County deputies took the car to search it for evidence.

Detectives said the victim’s cell phone was used twice after her death and that those calls were traced to Myers’ home at 70 McMillen Ave.

Myers and his two roommates were taken into questioning from Myers’ home Sunday night. 

Diedrich attended a press conference in Montgomery County Monday morning.

Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said Myers confessed to involvement in the murder of Jennifer but wouldn’t say to what extent.

The sheriff’s office said Myers was the one who dropped off 4-year-old William at the rest stop.

The sheriff’s office told Diedrich authorities think Myers became involved after Jennifer’s car was stolen out of an OSU parking garage on Dec. 17 while she was at a concert. An ID and house keys were inside the vehicle at the time.

Plummer said those items mostly likely led Myers to her home Friday night.

Authorities would not release a possible motive and didn’t say whether Myers was connected to the Nelson family in any way.

Plummer said this was one of the most bizarre cases he’s ever seen.

Diedrich reported Myers’ two roommates were released from custody late Monday morning. One of the roommates may be arrested later, she said.

Plummer said, at this time, Jennifer’s husband, Eddie Nelson, was not a suspect.

Eddie spoke on the Today Show Monday morning about how William is handling the situation.

“My focus is on him. I’m doing everything I can to try to bring a little home to him. Obviously, I’m not going to make him go back to the house every again. That may be something that he may want to do later on down the road, but right now I’m just trying not to really even bring it up to him.  We’re gonna go see counselors and just I’m gonna take advice from them and just gonna keep moving forward,“ William’s father, Eddie Nelson, said.

Myers wasn’t formally charged because of jurisdictional issues. He was arrested and is being held in Franklin County on suspicion of aggravated murder. There will be an extradition hearing, and Myers will be charged formally with aggravated murder in Montgomery County Tuesday. Montgomery County was where Jennifer was fatally shot.

Diedrich reported Myers was being held in jail with no bond Monday. Myers was in common pleas court in Franklin County Monday. The hearing was an arraignment for an auto-theft case from December. Diedrich could not confirm whether it was the OSU parking garage theft.

In December 2007, Myers was charged with stealing another car and pleaded guilty. He is currently on felony probation for that offense.

Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for the latest information in this developing story.
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