COLUMBUS — A Columbus man is being held without bond at the Bartholomew County Jail after police discovered the body of his 89-year-old landlord inside a Pearl Street home Tuesday night.
Rudy Minton, 49, faces a preliminary charge of murder in connection with the death of Jerrell “Jerry” McCullough, according to the Columbus Police Department.
At approximately 8:36 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, officers were dispatched to a duplex in the 1400 block of Pearl Street, near 13th and Chestnut Streets, to conduct a welfare check on McCullough, who owned and managed the property.
Upon arrival, officers contacted Minton, a tenant residing at the address. While checking the interior of the home, officers located McCullough’s body.
Crime scene investigators noted that McCullough appeared to have suffered severe blunt force trauma. The scene was immediately secured, and detectives worked into the early morning hours processing evidence alongside crime scene technicians.
The Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office confirmed McCullough’s identity and scheduled a forensic autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
While police have not publicly disclosed an official motive, public record searches and court documents reveal that eviction proceedings associated with the Pearl Street address had recently been filed before the tragedy.
Minton was taken into custody at the scene and formally booked into the Bartholomew County Jail on the preliminary murder charge.
Detectives note that the investigation remains active. Anyone with information regarding the incident or events leading up to the homicide is urged to contact the Columbus Police Department at 812-376-2600.
