Troy man pleads guilty to killing, cutting thumb off of roommate

TROY — A Troy man pleaded guilty to killing his roommate, stealing his car, and cutting off the victim’s thumb.

Sean Higgins, 26, pleaded guilty to six charges in the murder of his roommate on Monday, according to Miami County Common Pleas Court documents.

Higgins previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. A Miami County Common Pleas Court judge found him competent to stand trial.

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The six charges include murder, abuse of a corpse, two counts of tampering with evidence, grand theft and receiving stolen property.

Higgins could serve the maximum sentence of life without parole and faces a maximum fine of $45,000.

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.

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 is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5.

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