Couple who disliked sex offenders arrested in man’s killing, police say

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) — An Arizona couple who “expressed distaste” for sex offenders was arrested after a man they knew was found dead in the desert over the weekend, police said.

Jacob Dylan Middlebrook, 35, and Layne Justine McIntosh, 36, were arrested Saturday in the death of 29-year-old Arron Christopher Warren, according to the Bullhead City Police Department.

Body found along Silver Creek Road

Police said Warren, a registered Level 2 sex offender experiencing homelessness, was found stabbed to death in a desert area along Silver Creek Road, about a mile east of Bullhead Parkway.

Middlebrook and McIntosh, who were also experiencing homelessness, had known Warren for the past few months and disliked sex offenders, according to police.

The couple reportedly chose the desert location ahead of time and planned to leave Warren’s body there. Police said the couple also measured furniture along the side of the road that could be large enough to cover his body.

Arrests in Nevada

Hours after the body was discovered Saturday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers found Warren’s stolen vehicle at a casino in Laughlin, just across the state line into Nevada.

Officers arrested Middlebrook and McIntosh. They were booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas and are awaiting extradition to Mohave County.

Once they return to Arizona, they will likely face first-degree murder charges.

Police chief addresses sex offender notifications

Bullhead City Police Chief Paul George said in a written statement that the department shares information about Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders as a public service when they move into the area or change addresses.

Required notifications are mailed to residents within about 1,000 feet of an offender’s registered address. The department also shares them 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. “However, we want to be clear that we will not tolerate anyone using this information as a reason to threaten, intimidate, harass or harm another person.”

Police can decide when to release the addresses of Level 1 offenders, who are in the lowest risk classification. State law requires notifications about Level 2 and Level 3 offenders, who are classified as more likely to reoffend than Level 1 offenders.

George also said the department’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations conducts monthly address verification checks to make sure sex offenders are following registration requirements.