Arizona Couple Accused in Planned Stabbing of Registered Sex Offender

An Arizona couple has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a registered sex offender to death in a desert area, authorities said.

Jacob Middlebrook, 35, and his girlfriend, Layne McIntosh, 36, were initially arrested on second-degree homicide charges in connection with the death of 29-year-old Arron Christopher Warren, Bullhead City police said in a social media post.

The investigation began Saturday after a motorist discovered a dead man along the road in the 3100 block of Silver Creek Road. Because the circumstances appeared suspicious, detectives responded and began investigating the death as a homicide.

Jacob Middlebrook and his girlfriend, Layne McIntosh, are facing homicide charges. (Bullhead City Police)

Detectives identified the victim as Warren, whom police described as a Bullhead City “transient.” Investigators also identified a possible suspect and learned that Warren’s vehicle was missing.

Several hours later, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police assisted Bullhead City investigators in locating the vehicle at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Middlebrook and McIntosh and booked them into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. They will remain there pending extradition to Mohave County, Arizona.

The charges against both suspects were upgraded to first-degree homicide on Monday.

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Investigators determined that Middlebrook and McIntosh were also “local transients” who had known Warren for several months.

The couple had expressed hostility toward registered sex offenders and allegedly planned the homicide in advance, Bullhead City police said.

“The couple reportedly pre-determined the desert location where they intended to leave Warren’s body. They also reportedly measured furniture/beds that could be large enough to cover the victim’s body along the side of the road. Warren was a registered Level 2 sex offender,” the department said.

Police in Bullhead City, Arizona, say a couple allegedly stabbed a registered sex offender to death and planned the homicide in advance. (Bullhead City Police)

Bullhead City Police Chief Paul George said the department informs the community when certain registered sex offenders move into the area or change addresses. However, he said he “will not tolerate anyone using this information as a reason to threaten, intimidate, harass or harm another person.”

“When a Level 2 or Level 3 sex offender moves into our area or, more commonly, changes addresses, the Bullhead City Police Department shares that information as a public service to help keep residents informed,” George said in a statement. “While required notifications are mailed to residents living within an approximate 1,000 feet radius of an offender’s registered address, we go a step further by sharing these notifications on social media to reach a broader audience. Our goal is to provide information, not create fear or alarm. We believe an informed community is a safer community.”

“Our Bureau of Criminal Investigations conducts monthly address verification checks to help ensure registered sex offenders are complying with registration requirements. Our responsibility is to protect our community, keep residents informed and to enforce the law. We take all three of these seriously,” George added.