Austintown cops seek clues in man’s death

January 22, 2011 at 12:07a.m.

Austintown

Township police hope video surveillance from businesses near Brudders Restaurant will shed some light on whom Stephen Shonn was with the night he died.

Detective Sgt. Kathy Dina said police found the 76-year-old township resident’s missing car in the Brudders parking lot around 7 a.m. Wednesday — three hours after Shonn’s wife, Judith, 71, discovered him dead on the basement floor of their home at 3412 Bentwillow Lane.

Dina said that because of the suspicious circumstances surrounding Shonn’s death, police are investigating it as a homicide. She said the Mahoning County coroner’s office hasn’t ruled on an official cause of death.

Police Chief Bob Gavalier said Shonn was face down with his arms at his sides. He said that other than a bloody nose and a bluish color in his hands and face, police found no signs of blunt-force trauma or contusions.

“The toxicology report will be a couple of weeks, and they indicated there was something suspicious, so they’re going to look at a few other things,” Dina said.

The detective said she hopes surveillance tapes from three businesses near Brudders will help police determine why Shonn’s car was at the restaurant, and if it was Shonn or someone else accompanying the vehicle.

Dina said that although police have no suspects, whoever is responsible was someone the victim knew. She said it’s likely Shonn let the person into the house, which explains no signs of forced entry.

“I hope to see someone with him [in the videos] because my guess is he met a friend that night,” she said. “My gut is telling me whoever was at the house took the car.”

Dina said she began reviewing the tapes Friday.

Neighbors who were interviewed by police said they didn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary that night, Dina said.

But one neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said he’s heard many neighbors say the incident has made them more nervous.

Another neighbor, George Babos, 72, moved in several houses down from the victim and his wife about 15 years ago. Babos said he couldn’t believe such a crime could happen in his quiet neighborhood.

“I was shocked,” he said. “It’s kind of scary because we’ve never had anything like this happen here.”

Babos said he and Shonn would talk frequently in passing, and Shonn was always very friendly.

“Steve and I talked when I would walk up that way or he would come down this way,” he said. “He never had any bad words to say about anyone.”