LICKING COUNTY, Ohio — On December 23, Licking County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives executed a search warrant at 207 Darlene Drive in Newark, Ohio, as a result of a welfare check requested by family members who had not had contact with Debra Perrine, 67, for approximately a week.
When they entered the residence, they found Debra’s son, David Perrine, 40, and another man, but Debra was not present. Evidence in the house indicated that foul play had occurred and that an attempt had been made to remove evidence. David was arrested and taken to the Licking County Jail for a pretrial bond violation, while the other man was not arrested.
On December 29, investigators from the Licking County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio Bureau of Investigation, and Identification discovered a site on the Darlene Drive property that showed recent displacement of the ground.
Upon excavation, they recovered the body of Debra Perrine, which had obvious signs of trauma indicating foul play. David Perrine, who remains incarcerated in the Licking County Jail, is a person of interest in the case. The death of Debra Perrine is being investigated as a homicide.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Licking County Sheriff’s Office.