MIAMI COUNTY — A Troy man accused of killing his roommate, stealing his car and cutting off the victim’s thumb is scheduled to appear in court later this month.
Sean Higgins, 25, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of aggravated murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, grand theft of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property, according to court records.
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Higgins had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and was then ordered to appear at the Forensic Psychiatry Center for Western Ohio in Dayton for an examination.
On Wednesday, Higgins’ competency hearing was scheduled for July 20, according to online court records.
Higgins was arrested by Troy Police on April 14 after police said he admitted to killing Easton Ho, 25, and dumping his body out of state, according to court records and Troy’s Police Chief. News Center 7 previously reported that police called the killing premeditated.
Ho’s body was recovered in Randolph County near the Greenville Creek in the area of State Route 227 and Greenville Pike on April 15, investigators said. It was the area Higgins told police he dumped it, according to Troy Police Chief Shawn McKinney.
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Investigators said Higgins cut “off the dead victim’s thumb and keeping it to access and use the victim’s cell phone” during the crimes. The victim’s cell phone ended up being recovered in a field in Troy.
Higgins was also accused of stealing Ho’s Ford Flex, which was found the evening of April 14, in the parking lot of the shopping plaza at the intersection of Marshall and Stroop roads in Kettering around 6:30 p.m. The vehicle was covered in blood and the license plates has been taken off, court records showed. Police believe Higgins got an Uber ride back to Troy from Kettering, McKinney said.
Higgins is currently booked in the Miami County Jail where his bond was continued at $1.5 million. His competency hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on July 20.
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