iStock/Thinkstock(BRUNSWICK, Ohio) — A man taken into custody in Ohio Tuesday morning as a person of interest in the mysterious deaths of a woman and her two daughters has been linked to the murders of another couple, officials said.
George Brinkman, 45, is a suspect in the triple homicide of 45-year-old Suzanne Taylor and her daughters, 18-year-old Kylie Pifer and 21-year-old Taylor Pifer, whose bodies were found this weekend in a bedroom at their home in North Royalton, Ohio, about 18 miles outside Cleveland, according to the North Royalton Police Department.
A knife was used in the death of one of the women, but there was no visible sign of how the other two were killed, Detective Dave Loeding of the North Royalton Police Department said at a news conference Monday.
Brinkman and the mother were acquaintances, Loeding told ABC News on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, this morning the Stark County Sheriff’s Office said Brinkman is a suspect in the murders of a couple found dead Monday at their home in Lake Township, which is about 45 miles south of North Royalton.
The Lake Township victims, Rogell Eugene John II, 71, and his wife, Roberta Ray John, 64, were found shot dead, the Stark County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Stark County Sheriff’s Office said it has secured arrest warrants for Brinkman for two counts of murder for the Johns’ deaths.
Brinkman worked for the Johns for a number of years and was allegedly watching their home while they were on vacation, Stark County Sheriff George Maier said Tuesday.
The double homicide of the Johns took place during a robbery, a Stark County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said.
Brinkman had also allegedly dated the couple’s daughter, Maier said.
“They were friendly enough with him that they were comfortable with him watching their home while they were on vacation,” Maier said.
When Rogell John didn’t show up for work at the family business, Maier said, his son went to check on him Monday and found his father and stepmother dead.
Maier said police believe that the deaths of the mother and daughters in North Royalton happened before the Lake Township incident.
Maier said police do not think that the mother and daughters had any connection to the Johns.
Brinkman was taken into custody this morning in connection with the North Royalton case after an hourslong standoff. The standoff began around 9 p.m. Monday at a Brunswick, Ohio, home, the Brunswick Division of Police said at a news conference this morning.
Police officers forced entry into the home this morning and were able to take Brinkman into custody by utilizing a stun gun, police said. No shots were fired. Brinkman was the only person in the house at the time and did not say anything during the encounter, according to police.
Loeding said Tuesday that, while Brinkman is the suspect in the North Royalton case, he has not yet been charged. Brinkman remains in North Royalton police custody.
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