Ohio man held in deaths of four men

A man is being held in connection with the deaths of four men whose bodies were found in a northern Ohio town this week, authorities said.

Donald Hoffman, 41, of Bucyrus, Ohio, was detained for a probation violation Tuesday, according to a news release from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators described Hoffman as a person of interest in the killings of four men who were found dead in Bucyrus on Monday and Tuesday, according to the release.

Hoffman will appear in court Thursday.

Earlier Wednesday, Crawford County Coroner Michael Johnson told the Associated Press that the victims were Billy Jack Chatman, 55, Freelin Hensley, 67, and Gerald Lee Smith and Darrell Lewis, both 65.

Chatman and Hensley were found dead Monday, according to the report, and Lewis and Smith were found dead in the same apartment complex Tuesday.

Investigators have not released a cause of death in any of the slayings, according to the report.

Johnson told the Associated Press that the killings appear to be related.

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