SOUTH LEBANON, Ohio – An 8-year-old boy’s call to 911 led to the arrest of husband-and-wife murder suspects, officials say.
Christopher and Jacqueline Kirby beat and killed 59-year old Deborah Powers and beat her husband Ronnie Powers to the brink of death at a home on West Broadway Friday, Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said.
Afterward, Ronnie Powers was able to tell his young nephew to call 911.
"Can an ambulance come? My uncle... his head is bleeding," the boy said on the phone.
Once police responded to the call and found Ronnie Powers, they searched the house and found his dead wife, Fornshell said.
Fornshell called the attacks "extraordinarily brutal" and said it must have been a horrifying experience for the boy.
"It would have to be an extraordinarily traumatic situation,” Fornshell said. “The victim who was still alive - his injuries were brutal. And obviously our deceased victim - her injuries are horrific."
The Kirbys set out to steal from the Powerses to buy drugs, Fornshell said.
"Our two defendants were interested in taking some property basically for the purposes of buying drugs,” Fornshell said. “They ultimately went in and beat our female victim to death, beat our male victim to the point to where he's in very, very critical condition. Obviously, we're hopeful that that he'll survive these injuries, but it's still looking pretty dire."
The Kirbys are being held on a $250,000 cash bond each. They are charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and receiving stolen property.
Christopher Kirby lost his cool at his video arraignment Tuesday morning when prosecutors asked that he be denied contact with his wife.
The prosecution originally asked that Christopher Kirby's bond be set at $1 million. Both Kirbys are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
If you know anything about this case, please call the Warren County Sheriff's Office criminal investigations section at 513-695-2525.
