Ohio grand jury indicts man in 1985 murder after DNA review

Ohio prosecutors announced that a grand jury indicted Randy McAllister on murder and aggravated murder charges in the 1985 killing of traveling salesman John Warren. Warren was found dead in his room at a Holiday Inn in Middletown, Ohio, on Oct. 17, 1985.

His car and personal items were missing. Police in Dalton, Georgia, recovered some of the missing property behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant days later. The car later appeared in Redington Beach, Florida.

Investigation reopened Warren County detectives pursued leads in 1985 but lacked sufficient evidence to proceed, Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said. The case stayed inactive until 2019. Authorities then submitted items from the three locations to a laboratory. The analysis identified McAllister, 62, of Columbus, Ohio, as a suspect. A potential accomplice had already died.

Grand jury action Sheriff's detectives presented the evidence to a grand jury last month. The panel returned the indictment, Fornshell said. "Cold case investigations are 'cold' for a reason," Fornshell stated. " The indictment alleges McAllister killed Warren during a robbery, according to CBS affiliate WKRC.