Springfield police have arrested a man on suspicion of killing a 41-year-old woman after he called 911 to report that she was not breathing. An affidavit for the man’s arrest indicates the woman sustained injuries consistent with strangulation.
Jerome G. Poole, 59, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of Crystal M. Dye.
Police were called by Poole to his residence, 206 S. Clifton Ave. at about 3:30 a.m. on March 7 regarding a report of a woman who was unconscious and not breathing. Medical aid was rendered, but Dye was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a Springfield Police Department news release. Dye was found to have sustained “serious internal injuries that were consistent with an assault,” according to the release
A probable cause affidavit for Poole’s arrest indicates that Dye was found unresponsive in a bedroom of the residence on Clifton Avenue. Poole told police that she had been “up and talking” 15 minutes prior to his 911 call, according to the affidavit. He said that he had been talking to her while he was doing the dishes but “apparently didn’t receive a response” and went to check on her. Poole told police he thought she was asleep at first, but that he attempted CPR on Dye after finding her unresponsive.
The affidavit states that police noticed signs of injuries Dye sustained, including cuts and bruising on her body. Clumps of hair were in her hand and on the ground in the bedroom.
An autopsy was later performed on Dye, according to the affidavit, and numerous internal injuries consistent with strangulation were detected.
Poole was not arrested during the initial 911 response, but police returned to his home at about 3:30 p.m. on March 7 to interview him. According to the affidavit, Poole said he and Dye had sex multiple times after she came to his home on March 6. He had not shared that information during the initial emergency response, according to the affidavit.
“Poole said he did not realize anything was wrong with (the victim) until she did not respond when he was attempting to talk to her,” the affidavit states. “He poured water on her and attempted to get her to respond and called 911.”
The affidavit states that Poole’s interviews with police during the initial emergency response and the follow-up interview were inconsistent, and that Poole said no one was in the house with them when he noticed she was unresponsive.
“The evidence in this investigation showed (the victim) was murdered via manual strangulation, and according to Poole, he was the only person with (the victim) at the time of her death,” the affidavit states.
Poole is being held without bond in the Greene County Jail.
