Matthew Thomas Obituary, Death; – A man from Dayton has been charged with murder and assault following the death of an individual in 2023.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office has announced the indictment of 49-year-old James Ernest Hancock Jr. for the murder of Matthew Thomas, which occurred in October 2023. According to law enforcement, officers responded to a report from a 911 caller who observed two men placing a body into the bed of a pickup truck in the vicinity of Wroe Avenue.
Later that day, emergency services were dispatched to the Popeye’s restaurant on Salem Avenue after receiving reports of an unresponsive person. Upon their arrival, first responders discovered a deceased individual in the alley behind the establishment.
The deceased was identified as 35-year-old Matthew Thomas. An autopsy revealed that he succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Hancock had previously been named a suspect, and on October 16, he was indicted on two counts of tampering with evidence and one count of gross abuse of a corpse.
The investigation continued as detectives sought to identify the shooter. Following their findings, the Montgomery County Grand Jury issued additional charges against Hancock, which include:
– Two counts of Murder
– Two counts of Felonious Assault
– One count of Tampering with Evidence
– One count of Having Weapons While Under Disability due to a prior violent offense
– One count of Having Weapons While Under Disability due to a prior drug conviction
Hancock is currently incarcerated at the Montgomery County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned on these new charges on Tuesday, March 4.
