CINCINNATI -- A Delhi Township man is facing charges after police reportedly found a dismembered body hidden in his home.
It's a story 9News broke Monday morning, August 17.
Police arrested 30-year-old John Strutz on Sunday evening following a search of his home on
Greenwell Avenue.
Strut'z attorney, Simon Groner, says his client couldn't find his wife, Kristan, 28, on Saturday and called police after checking with a relative who also didn't know where she was.
Strutz is currently charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing official business. According to police documents, he hid the human remains in an attempt to "impair its value or availability as evidence" in their investigation. He is not charged with murder at this time.
Groner said his client gave police permission to search his home, and that as far as he knew, the only items seized were several bottles of bleach.
Police have not released any information about the body; however, 9News has learned that it was of an adult and was significantly dismembered.
"It's freeking me out. I always thought this was a very safe neighborhood, with safe neighbors. I've never seen an investigation of a dismembered body... Or a murder. I don't want anything like that to happen to my kids or to me," said neighbor Tara Hanning.
Neighbors are asking if he might have killed his wife and dismembered her.
Detectives are currently searching the riverbank near the
Anderson Ferry. Divers were in the Ohio River near the ferry late Monday afternoon. Officials are not saying if this search has any connection to the case.
Kristan worked at a nearby nursing home, but had been on leave since an ankle injury and was due to return to work in November. Co-workers at the nursing home tell 9News they are greatly upset Kristan is missing and hope that she is still alive.
Sources tell 9News that a murder charge is likely.
Strutz appeared in Hamilton County Court Monday morning, where a judge ordered him held on over $1 million.
Groner asked for a low bond because the couple has young children, but authorities persuaded the judge to set a high bond while they continue to investigate.
Specifically, he received a $1 million bond for the tampering with evidence charge and an additional $10,000 bond for the charge of obstructing official business.
Crime scene investigators remained at the home all day.
Officials have not released any other information at this time.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
