Person of interest identified in 5 Franklin County murders

Indiana State Police officers have identified a person of interest in the murders of five people in rural Franklin County.

Police officers responded to a call Sunday that a child was walking by herself on a road. After speaking to the girl and those who found her, police searched neighboring houses and discovered five people dead in two homes.

Autopsies performed this week indicated that all died of gunshot wounds to the head or chest.

Crime scene investigators determined the shooter was not found among the dead.

Early on Wednesday, ISP officers and Franklin County Sheriff’s officers arrested David Ison, 46, of Glenwood, Ind., for an attempted armed robbery of a pharmacy in Osgood,
Ind.

A warrant had been issued for his arrest Tuesday following a five-month investigation into the robbery. Some of Ison’s DNA was left at the pharmacy after the attempted robbery.

Analysis of that DNA led detectives to create a possible link between Ison and the five murders found in Franklin County.

Ison was arrested after a search warrant was issued for the residence where he was staying.

Police have not yet labeled Ison a suspect in the murders.

In a press release, the state police wrote that the murder case is still an active investigation and detectives continue to follow other potential tips and leads.

Police also released details about the identities of the deceased, identifying the victims as Angela Napier, 47; Jacob Napier, 18; Roy Napier, 50; Melissa Napier, 23; and Henry Smith, 43. All the victims were  residents of Laurel, Ind, the state police confirmed.

— Zach Ammerman