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Last updated on Monday, October 30, 2017
(BIRDSEYE) - Dubois County Police arrested a Birdseye man after they say he tampered with a murder scene that occurred in Birdseye this summer.
Police arrested 19-year-old Quentin McMickle on charges of burglary and obstruction of justice.
According to court documents, investigators have interviewed five people who claim McMickle told them he was there or he cleaned up the scene at the home on Harts Gravel Road where 49-year-old Darin Atkins was found dead.
Atkins was found dead in a home in the 3000 block of Harts Gravel Road on July 19th. Police say Atkins suffered several skull fractures caused by a blunt force object. No murder weapon was found at the scene.
Police say Atkins had been dead for a period of time before his death was reported by his on-again, off-again girlfriend around 2 p.m. that day.
Police say at least 10 people were at Atkins' residence located on the 3000 block of Harts Gravel Road during that time and before police were notified of the death.
McMickle has denied his involvement.
But police say McMickle allegedly told several people he cleaned the scene while wearing plastic bags on his hands and feet. He allegedly told his friend's the murder weapon was a baseball bat and he went to the home looking for it hence why he was arrested. Police have not confirmed the baseball bat is the murder weapon.
According to Dubois County Detective Sgt.Tom Kleinhelter it's unusual to have a case where people don't immediately call 911. He would not release a timeframe nor any details about the crime but police feel they are close to solving the case. They just need a few details to put the pieces together.
According to Kleinhelter, the reason so many people came out to the home where Atkins lived by himself is due to the gossip that spread after he was found making the case complicated due to the extensive list of people that entered the crime scene. Kleinhelter feels those at the crime scene came there to verify the information they had received, but no one contacted police.
The department is asking anyone with information about the murder to come forward and contact the department at (812) 482-3522 and ask for Detective Kleinhelter or any other officer. All calls can remain anonymous.
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