Batavia man accused of killing father indicted on murder charges

A Batavia man accused of killing his father last month has been indicted on several charges, including aggravated murder and murder.

On Tuesday, Dec. 5, a Clermont County grand jury returned an indictment against Zane A. Pelfrey, 39, on the following charges:

• One count of aggravated murder, a felony of the first degree;

• Two counts of murder, both felonies of the first degree;

• One count of felonious assault, a felony of the second degree;

• One count of tampering with evidence, a felony of the third degree; and

• One count of theft, a felony of the fifth degree.

On Nov. 24 at 9:38 p.m., the Clermont County Communication Center received a 911 call from a resident in the 500 block of West Main Street in the Village of Batavia. The caller reported the death of his father.

Officers from the Village of Batavia Police Department responded to the scene to begin the investigation. The first officer arrived on the scene at 9:43 p.m. and located the victim, a 60-year-old Batavia man, lying unresponsive inside the residence. Central Joint Fire/EMS responded to the scene; however, the victim was pronounced deceased.

After several interviews with family members and witnesses, Pelfrey was identified as the suspect allegedly directly responsible for the death of his father.

An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.