Chief: Murder mystery involving three bodies coming to close
BENTON COUNTY – Authorities in Benton County say they are getting closer to solving a murder mystery involving three dead bodies.
Fowler police are investigating the suicide of 49-year-old Teresa Jarding and now the murder of her husband and possible death of her mother.
Police first got involved when a family of a missing Chicago man reached out to them. Their loved one, Milan Lekich, had gone missing and his wife, Jarding, was living in Fowler.
Officers tried to reach out to her, but she refused to speak to them.
On September 25th, officers found Jarding near death in her home. She was sitting in a chair next to a handgun. They rushed her to the hospital where she died.
“Because there was a handgun beside her and some of the things we saw when we entered the home that evening we thought she may have tried to take her own life or someone tried to hurt her,” recalled Police Chief Dennis Rice.
An autopsy later revealed Jarding died of an overdose. However, officers realized her mother was missing. Nena Metoyer had traveled to Indiana from Florida to be with her ailing daughter and was nowhere to be found at the time of Jarding’s death.
On October 5th, the body of Lekish was found in a Chicago garage. His body was dismembered and police said he was shot in the head.
Then Saturday, human remains belonging to a woman were found on Jarding’s property in Fowler. Police fear they are of Jarding’s mother.
“(The case) just went directions we had no idea it would go,” said Rice.”It’s a very quiet community… a very safe community, but to have something like this happen here it’s quite shocking.”
Three bodies and few answers: Rice admits it’s been a challenging case. The small police department only has five officers and has received help from the Indiana State Police.
Rice promises the public will get answers soon.
“(It’s) challenging, but a lot of the questions are starting to get answered and I think we’re soon to reach closure on this case.”
Police do not have any suspects yet. They do not believe there is a killer on the loose or that the public is in any harm.
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