South Side fire could be tied to city's first murder of 2016

YOUNGSTOWN

Police say a fire at a South Side home Tuesday evening may be connected to the city’s first homicide of the year earlier in the day.

Richard Macklin, 22, of East Philadelphia Avenue, was found at about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday after a landlord and family members found a door kicked in on the home in the 200 block of East Philadelphia Avenue, where he was staying.

The landlord found Macklin dead in an upstairs bedroom as police were on their way to the home.

The death is the city’s first homicide of 2016.

A news release from the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy done Wednesday determined that Macklin died from several gunshot wounds to the back.

Lt. Doug Bobovnyik of the detective bureau said family members had been concerned about Macklin because they had not seen him for several hours before he was found. Bobovnyik said Macklin had been shot to death but investigators do not believe he had been dead a long time before he was found.

A few hours later, about 9 p.m., firefighters were called to a 203 E. Chalmers Ave. home where there was a heavy fire on the front porch. Reports said there was also a strong odor of an accelerant, and the owner was at the police station for what fire reports termed “another matter.” Patrol officers were called to the home to help firefighters because a large crowd was there and was interfering with firefighting efforts.

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.