Friday, August 17, 2018
Staff Report
LIBERTY
Diane Pullin says her family is pleased with findings of an internal police investigation that revealed Capt. Toby Meloro didn’t thoroughly collect evidence when investigating the death of her sister, Loraine Lynn, more than a year ago.
The case was closed the day Lynn’s body was found Aug. 2, 2017, and treated as an accidental death. But the late Trumbull County Coroner Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk ruled in March the death was a homicide.
Pullin, who hired private investigators for her sister’s case, said Thursday: “The Pullin and Lynn families are pleased with the findings of the internal investigation concerning interim police Chief Toby Meloro. Those findings found [him] negligent in all counts in the homicide investigation of Loraine Pullin Lynn.”
She also responded to The Vindicator’s coverage of the report: “We would hope that Arnie Clebone, Liberty trustee, does the right thing and does not allow Toby Meloro to become the Liberty Township police chief. We do not want Liberty Township to claim Youngstown’s title as ‘murder capital of the world.’”
Township trustees voted 2-1 July 31 to appoint Meloro as interim chief, with Trustee Jodi Stoyak opposed, and board chairman Clebone and Trustee Greg Cizmar voting yes.
Meloro starts his position as interim police chief Monday to replace police Chief Richard Tisone, who retires today.
Liberty Detective Sgt. Ray Buhala and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations are working on the Lynn homicide case.