CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – It has been 20 years since the tragic homicide of 89-year-old Eldon Kenneth Conley, a resident of Chillicothe’s East Side.
Mr. Conley’s life came to a tragic end when his residence at 525 E. Main St. became the scene of a devastating fire. It happened on December 3, 2003.
However, investigators soon uncovered a sinister truth – Conley was killed prior to the fire. Police say the blaze was deliberately set to conceal the homicide. An autopsy, investigators say, revealed that Conley had been brutally stabbed before the fire was set.
Despite years of investigation, the case has remained frustratingly unsolved. Family members disclosed to the media in 2015 that detectives reportedly recovered female DNA from inside the home, but the lead failed to yield a viable suspect.
Authorities initially suspected robbery as a potential motive for the killing. However, in 2017, convicted Chillicothe killer Casey Pigge claimed responsibility for Conley’s death during an interview with investigators. Despite Pigge’s confession, officials in Chillicothe determined that the information provided lacked credibility.
To this day, no suspects have been publicly named in connection with Conley’s murder.
The Chillicothe Police Department and investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Investigations continue to urge anyone with information on this cold case to come forward and assist in bringing closure to this decades-old mystery.
