Police Investigating Man for Drug Trafficking Stumble Into Grotesque Homicide, Dismemberment Case

Eric Ward (above left), 36, was additionally accused of attacking and beating a second girl into serving to him dismember the physique of Allyson Lorenz (above proper), 32, after he’d spent three days bodily beating her to demise. On Monday, Ward was discovered responsible on 18 costs associated to that demise.

Police stumbled onto a scene described by prosecutors as a “scene straight out of a horror film,” in accordance with The Columbus Dispatch, fully by chance.

They had been investigating Ward on the time, however on suspicion that he was trafficking medication.

The invention got here practically 4 years in the past, on September 29, 2021, when SWAT officers executed a search warrant at a house the place they discovered Ward and one other particular person. The warrant was in relation to Ward’s alleged promoting of cocaine, methamphetamine, Oxycodone and fentanyl.”

What investigators didn’t anticipate finding was a number of black trash luggage within the storage of the condominium with components of Lorenz’s physique inside them. An post-mortem decided that she was killed by a number of blunt pressure accidents from a beating. Dismemberment occurred after demise.

On August 4, Ward testified that he knew nothing in regards to the physique they discovered, regardless of investigators additionally recovering his DNA on the scene. There have been additionally cuts on his arm when he was initially detained that he couldn’t clarify.

Throughout his trial, the place he maintained his innocence, Ward testified, “We did not know nothing about what was within the storage or nothing.” He additional stated he had no concept how Lorenz died, accusing police of planting and fabricating proof towards him all through their investigation.

The Dispatch notes that among the proof that was introduced towards Ward in trial included video from a house enchancment retailer that confirmed Ward wielding an axe and a pair of shears earlier than a girl with him bought each of them. He stated in courtroom that he’d gone along with her to purchase these things, which she wanted to clear brush at a homeless encampment she stayed at generally.

The girl additionally bought a white Tyvex-like go well with and eye safety, per the newspaper. Investigators acknowledged in courtroom that they discovered Ward’s DNA inside this plastic go well with, and Lorenz’s DNA on the surface of it.

Additionally they confirmed proof that plastic sheeting had been put up within the storage to cowl the partitions and flooring. The aforementioned axe and shears had been each recovered and, per police, nonetheless had parts of Lorenz’s stays on them.

The girl he went purchasing with, named Heather Baker, pleaded responsible to tampering with proof and abuse of a corpse.

She additionally testified at Ward’s trial towards him, refuting his model of occasions. She advised the jury that Ward had crushed each her and Lorenz for hours, even utilizing boxing gloves he used to follow sparring, and that the beatings had continued till Lorenz grew to become unresponsive and died.

Prosecutors alleged that Ward “brutally beat” Lorenz after which put a “moist wash material” over her mouth as she suffered from “agonal respiration” ensuing from allegedly being thrown to the bottom and pummeled, per a courtroom submitting dated November 17, 2023. She was then left there till she died.

That doc detailed an alleged earlier encounter of extended bodily abuse when officers had been dispatched on February 2, 2019, the place they discovered “Allyson Lorenz with horrendous wounds after being crushed by Eric Ward for a number of days.” He pleaded responsible in that case to 4th-degree Aggravated Assault and was finally launched on November 30, 2020.

He then “compelled himself into” Lorenz’s dwelling once more, per the doc, and commenced to distribute narcotics from there. All through the method, Ward had given police a special tackle for himself and there was no proof he lived at Lorenz’s dwelling, so he was charged with kidnapping her in her own residence, as nicely.

Then, in accordance with prosecutors, “from September 25, 2021 to September 27, 2021, [Ward] mercilessly beat Ms. Lorenz in her own residence till she succumbed to her accidents.”

The doc asserts that Baker, who testified towards Ward in trial, “was current and crushed as nicely.” In accordance with one other courtroom submitting dated Might 10, 2023, Lorenz and Baker had gone to sleep on the third day of Lorenz’s alleged beating, after he’d put the “moist wash material” over her mouth as she suffered “agonal respiration.” Once they awakened, she was lifeless.

That subsequent morning, per the Might 2023 submitting, Ward and Baker “performed quite a few net searches concerning DNA proof and blood.” Ward then “determined to dismember” Lorenz’s physique, taking Baker “to a ironmongery shop to buy an axe, shears, and cleansing provides,” per the November submitting.

Ward allegedly additionally drove Baker to a close-by storage unit, which she then bought in her title. Surveillance video captured each of them as they moved “a number of firearms, pillows with blood, and a considerable amount of narcotics” from Lorenz’s dwelling to this unit.

Ward went about making an attempt to dismember Lorenz’s physique in her dwelling. Per the paperwork, he “had not accomplished the dismemberment on September 29,” with prosecutors calling this “fortuitous” because the Franklin County Sheriff’s workplace was practically a month into their drug trafficking investigation by that time.

Fully by coincidence, the detective on that case acquired a search warrant on September 29 for Lorenz’s dwelling, which they then executed on that very same day. Upon arrival, police discovered Ward and Baker, together with “a considerable amount of heavy obligation cleansing provides together with bleach, energy wash, goggles, Tyvek cleansing fits, many trash luggage, and extra.”

Contained in the storage, they discovered Lorenz’s stays inside extra trash luggage. After securing a second search warrant for proof of homicide, investigators discovered Baker’s receipt for a storage unit. Additionally they recovered cell telephones belonging to Ward, Baker, and Lorenz, with these telephones containing proof of the abuses Lorenz suffered, and drug trafficking, per courtroom paperwork.

Additionally they spoke with neighbors, who reported seeing two people confirmed to be Ward and Baker hauling away “a number of black plastic luggage from the home the day earlier than.” Acquiring a search warrant for the storage unit, police discovered the proof contained therein.

As detailed within the Might 2023 submitting, Ward was hit with a number of costs in relation to each the drug trafficking investigation and the shock homicide investigation.

On October 8, 2021, Ward was charged in relation to the unique drug investigation for Trafficking in Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, Trafficking in a Fentanyl-Associated Compound, Possession of a Fentanyl-Associated Compound, 2nd and Third-Diploma Aggravated Trafficking in Medicine, 2nd and Third-Diploma Aggravated Possession of Medicine, two counts of Receiving Stolen Property, and three counts of Having Weapons Whereas Beneath Incapacity.

On April 4, 2023, he was charged within the demise of Lorenz for Kidnapping, Aggravated Homicide, two further counts of Homicide, Home Violence, Tampering with Proof, and Gross Abuse of a Corpse.

The primary trial, which started July 14, was ended after simply two days by Franklin County Widespread Pleas Choose Julie Lynch after a juror reported being threatened. A second trial started July 28 with further safety outdoors the courtroom. This jury wanted simply two hours to convict Ward on all 18 costs he confronted.

Ward faces a possible most sentence of life in jail with out the potential for parole. His sentencing his not but been scheduled.