NewsLocal NewsBrown County

Actions

Docs: Man charged with shooting grandparents, cousin fantasized about it weeks prior

Noah Clifton in court.JPG
Georgetown Brown County shooting
Posted
and last updated

GEORGETOWN, Ohio — A Brown County man accused of killing his grandfather and injuring two other family members during a Wednesday shooting is being held in the Brown County jail on a $1 million bond.

Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis said deputies received a report just before 6:30 p.m. of an active shooter at a home on Wahlburg East Road in Georgetown. Georgetown police were first to arrive, followed by Brown County deputies and Ohio State Highway Patrol.

When they entered the home, officials found 81-year-old Ralph Neff Sr. dead with a gunshot wound to the head. His wife, 77-year-old Margaret Neff, had been shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen. Another person, 30-year-old Zachary Neff, was found nearby with a gunshot wound to the face.

Margaret and Zachary Neff were airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries, Ellis said.

Ralph and Margaret Neff's grandson and Zachary's cousin, 24-year-old Noah Clifton, was found outside the home standing near a vehicle that was running. According to police, a handgun was on the ground next to him.

He was taken into custody without incident, Ellis said.

A statement of facts provided in court Thursday says Zachary Neff told officers he and his grandparents were sitting in the living room watching TV when Clifton came into the room and started shooting.

"Zach told me very clearly that it was Noah that had shot him in the face," reads the statement of facts.

While he was being interviewed by the Brown County Sheriff's Office, Clifton told a detective that a couple of weeks before, he'd fantasized about killing his grandparents while playing Xbox.

He faces multiple charges, including one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Clifton was scheduled for a court appearance Thursday morning at 11 p.m. However, proceedings were delayed after officials announced he would not physically appear in court, because he was being "combative" and had also been throwing up throughout the morning.

Watch Live:

Scripps News Weekend