Unanswered questions remain as Trotwood police continue ‘suspicious’ death investigation

TROTWOOD — An investigation is still underway twelve days after a man was found dead in Trotwood under what police are calling “suspicious circumstances.”

Police found the man, identified as 61-year-old John Mullins, near the 6500 block of Midway Avenue around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 29, the police department said.

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News Center 7 has learned that Mullins was tried and convicted of two counts of gross sexual imposition involving two different juveniles.

News Center 7′s Mike Campbell uncovered those court records and spoke with Trotwood police about what they’ve learned.

Trotwood police say they discovered Mullins’ body in the backyard of a home after receiving a tip.

“We started investigating the tip and our officers located a deceased male, based on that tip,” Trotwood Detective Sergeant Kim DeLong told News Center 7.

DeLong was reluctant to confirm many details, however she did correct one thing that people in the area of the discovery believed had happened.

“He was not reported missing,” DeLong said.

News Center 7 uncovered a potential motive if it is ruled that foul play was involved.

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The Montgomery Count Prosecutors Office confirmed that Mullins was convicted of two counts of gross sexual imposition involving two different juvenile males in 2005. He was sentenced to five years on each count in 2007 after an appeal.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections records indicate he was incarcerated from August of 2005 to May of 2015.

Court records show that he was found to be a “sexually oriented offender” and a “sexual predator” and was required to register as a sex offender.

News Center 7 checked the Montgomery County sex offender website after his identity was revealed but did not find his name listed.

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DeLong was unable to confirm if they were looking into this as a potential motive for Mullins’ death.

DeLong was also unable to confirm if the caller was someone who knew Mullins.

Trotwood police say they want to keep as many details as possible about what they found in the backyard where Mullins was found, and what they believe happened there, confidential to ensure the interfaith of their investigation.

The next step in the investigation is getting a ruling on the cause of death from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

The autopsy is complete, but right now the death, or the ruling on the cause of death, is only listed as still in progress.

We will continue updating this story as we learn more.

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