YCSO SOLVES MAN’S MURDER AFTER A SIMPLE WELFARE CHECK RAISES SUSPICIONS

THE POST OFFICE IN ASHFORK CONTACTED THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ON APRIL 7TH WITH INFORMATION THAT A CUSTOMER, 67-YEAR-OLD JOHN MCCABE, HAD NOT PICKED UP HIS MAIL IN OVER A YEAR.

DEPUTIES SET OUT TO DO A ROUTINE WELFARE CHECK ON MR. MCCABE AND INSTEAD FOUND A MUCH BIGGER MYSTERY. THEY RESPONDED TO A LOCATION IN JUNIPER WOODS WHERE THEY FOUND 76-YEAR-OLD TERRY WELFENBERG LIVING ON MR. MCCABE’S PROPERTY. WELFENBERG TOLD DEPUTIES THAT MCCABE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO BUT COULD NOT PROVIDE A SPECIFIC DATE. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE BROKE INTO THE VICTIM’S HOME, HAD STOLEN A FEW FIREARMS THAT WERE LEFT BEHIND, AND HAD BEEN LIVING IN THE VICTIM’S HOME FOR A WHILE.

DUE TO THE SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES, ODD BEHAVIOR DISPLAYED BY MR. WELFENBERG, AND WITH NO SIGN OF THE VICTIM, DEPUTIES LEFT AND CONTACTED YCSO DETECTIVES IN THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU(CIB) FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE.

YCSO DECIDED TO SEARCH THE PROPERTY FOR ANY REMAINS OF THE VICTIM SINCE CIB DETECTIVES WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF MR. MCABE WAS STILL ALIVE AND LIVING ELSEWHERE. IN THE MEANTIME, WELFENBERG WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH BURGLARY AND THEFT OF THE FIREARMS. 

WHILE SEARCHING THE PROPERTY, A VOLUNTEER NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SKULL FRAGMENT IN THE FIRE PIT NEAR THE TRAILER.  AFTER OBTAINING A SEARCH WARRANT, DETECTIVES FOUND SEVERAL OTHER BONES THAT WERE DETERMINED TO BE OF HUMAN ORIGIN BY THREE INDEPENDENT FORENSIC TESTING AGENCIES.

A SECOND SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED TWO DAYS LATER, AND A MEDICAL ID BRACELET THAT BELONGED TO MR. MCCABE AS WELL AS HIS WALLET WERE LOCATED. NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL BONE FRAGMENTS WERE ALSO LOCATED WITHIN THE FIRE PIT.

SHERIFF DAVID RHODES SAID: “WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A SIMPLE WELFARE CHECK ON A MAN WHO MAY HAVE SIMPLY LEFT THE AREA, WAS ONLY DISCOVERED TO BE SOMETHING FAR MORE NEFARIOUS BECAUSE OF THE INSTINCTS OF THE RESPONDING DEPUTIES AND THE TENACITY OF THE CIB DETECTIVES. NOW A SUSPECTED MURDERER IS IN CUSTODY AND THERE CAN BE JUSTICE FOR A MAN WHOSE TRAGIC DEATH MAY NEVER HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED.”

ADDITIONAL CHARGES INCLUDING HOMICIDE ARE NOW PENDING.