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TOWANDA – One count of criminal homicide was filed Tuesday against Michael Jason Houseweart, 28, of 8887 Route 14, Canton, in the murder of Michelle Lynn Inch, 32, of 199 Sechler Drive, Montoursville, according to state police here.
Inch was last seen alive Jan. 26 with Houseweart, her boyfriend, leaving his Canton residence to go “target shooting” with a shotgun.
Houseweart and another man, Brian Vroman, have been in Lycoming County Prison since Jan. 27 on charges related to the home invasion, attempted homicide, robbery and arson of Gary and Linda Inch’s home in Montoursville earlier that day.
A missing person’s case was opened on Inch and the search for her crossed three counties – Lycoming, Bradford and Tioga – but turned up nothing.
According to the affidavit, in several interviews Houseweart gave police several false statements about the whereabouts of Inch but never admitted she was deceased.
Inch’s car was found on the morning of Jan. 28 in a rural area outside Canton.
Because blood was found on the car, police said they suspected she was the victim of foul play.
Inch’s body was found by passers-by March 18 along Schrader Creek, Overton Township, Bradford County.
Dental records had to be used to identify the body as that of Inch.
According to Bradford County Coroner Thomas Carman, an autopsy performed March 21 by forensic pathologist Dr. James Terzian at Lourdes Regional Hospital, Binghamton, New York, Inch died of blood loss due to a shotgun wound in her right arm, as well as multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma to the torso.
Her death was ruled a homicide.
Blood found on Inch’s 2003 Honda Accord was found through DNA testing to be Inch’s, according to a police affidavit filed with District Judge Timothy Clark’s office.
Houseweart’s shoe, an Iver Johnson 12-gauge shotgun and a broken shotgun stock retrieved from Houseweart also had Inch’s blood on them along with Houseweart’s police said.
On Tuesday, Houseweart was taken from Lycoming County Prison with a writ obtained from a judge in order to allow state police to transport him to his arraignment before Clark, according to Bradford County first assistant district attorney Albert Ondrey.
He was remanded to the Bradford County Correctional Facility without bail, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3 before Clark.