Suspect in Middleport slaying allegedly committs suicide as law enforcement attempted to arrest him

POMEROY – Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood, in a joint statement with Middleport Police Chief Bruce Swift, reports an update to the Wednesday morning homicide investigation that occurred in Middleport, Ohio.

Authorities state that around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Dale E. Miller, age 74, of 626 High Street Middleport was found dead in his basement from an apparent homicide.

Sheriff Wood stated that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Ohio Bureau of Investigation was requested to process the crime scene. During the investigation it was discovered that a 1999 Ford Ranger pickup truck, blue in color, that belonged to the victim was missing from the residence. Authorities gave this information to surrounding law enforcement agencies along with the public to be watching for this vehicle.

Authorities went on to say that though their investigation, assistance from tips, and information gathered at the scene, officers were able identify a suspect from the homicide and a possible location of the suspect’s location. Sheriff Wood went on to say that great police work by all those involved led officers to Ripley, West Virginia and to a location where they believed that the suspect, Gary Michael Johnson Jr., age 34 from Racine, Ohio was at.

Meigs County officers, with the assistance from the Sheriff’s Department of Jackson County, WV, met around 10:30 p.m. in the Ripley area. Jackson County officers located the stolen pickup of Dale E. Miller’s at the Quality Inn in Ripley, WV. Information was received that Gary Michael Johnson Jr. had obtained a room at the Quality Inn and contact was attempted with Johnson. At that time, officers heard what they believed to be a gunshot from inside of the hotel room and upon entry into the room, found that Gary Michael Johnson Jr. had taken his own life with a firearm that had been reported missing from Dale E. Miller’s residence.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department processed the scene after obtaining search warrants for the room.

Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood along with Middleport Police Chief Bruce Swift state that assistance was received from the deputies of the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, the Middleport Police Department, Gallia-Meigs Major Crimes Task Force, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Jackson County Task Force and the Ripley Police Department.