An Arizona couple has been charged with murder after authorities said they killed a sex offender because of his criminal history.
Jacob Dylan Middlebrook, 35, and his partner, Layne Justine McIntosh, 36, were arrested Saturday in connection with the death of Arron Christopher Warren, 29, the Bullhead City Police Department said.
Warren, a homeless Level 2 sex offender, was found fatally stabbed in the desert roughly a mile east of Bullhead Parkway earlier that morning, officials said.
Authorities have not said why Warren was required to register on the national sex-offender database. Investigators said, however, that Middlebrook and McIntosh had expressed strong hostility toward people listed on the registry.
Level 2 offenders are considered to present a moderate risk of reoffending and a mild degree of danger to the public.
Detectives said the couple, who were also living as transients, “expressed distaste for registered sex offenders and had planned the homicide in advance.”
Police allege that Middlebrook and McIntosh selected the desert as the place where they would leave Warren’s body. Investigators also said the pair measured furniture discarded along the roadside to determine whether it would be large enough to conceal him.
A passing motorist later found Warren’s body on the dirt road and contacted police.
Arron Christopher Warren, 29, was found fatally stabbed Saturday morning in the desert roughly a mile east of Bullhead Parkway. He was registered as a Level 2 sex offender
Jacob Dylan Middlebrook, 35, and Layne Justine McIntosh, 36, were arrested Saturday in connection with Warren’s death. Police said the couple “expressed distaste for registered sex offenders and had planned the homicide in advance”
Several hours later, officials found Warren’s vehicle parked at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, just over the state line, authorities said.
Officers arrested Middlebrook and McIntosh and booked them into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. They are awaiting extradition to Mohave County, Arizona.
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Following the arrests, Bullhead City Police Chief Paul George assured residents that the department closely monitors registered sex offenders as they move through the area.
“When a Level 2 or Level 3 sex offender moves into our area or, more commonly, changes addresses, the Bullhead City Police Department shares that information as a public service to help keep residents informed,” he said.
“Although required notifications are mailed to residents living within an approximate 1,000-foot radius of an offender’s registered address, we go a step further by posting those notifications on social media to reach a broader audience.”
“Our goal is to provide information, not create fear or alarm. We believe an informed community is a safer community,” George said.
George also addressed the circumstances of the alleged killing, emphasizing that the department “will not tolerate anyone using this information as a reason to threaten, intimidate, harass or harm another person.”
“Our Bureau of Criminal Investigations conducts monthly address-verification checks to help ensure registered sex offenders are complying with registration requirements. Our responsibility is to protect our community, keep residents informed and enforce the law. We take all three of these responsibilities seriously,” he added.
A motorist found Warren’s body on the dirt road, pictured, and called police. Hours later, authorities located his vehicle at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, just across the state line
The Daily Mail contacted the Bullhead City Police Department for comment.
Data shows that 750,066 sex offenders are currently registered across the United States.
People who fail to register can face additional felony charges, longer prison sentences and the revocation of parole or probation.
Individuals are removed from sex-offender registries after their deaths, although the procedure varies by state and jurisdiction.