LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — A 29-year-old man has been arrested and charged in the murder of a 47-year-old woman whom police say he had a romantic relationship with.
Jesse James Thompson was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Livingston County for the murder of a woman he was living with in a Lake Odessa mobile home park.
”It’s just scary... its such a tragedy, such a tragedy," a neighbor who asked not to be named told FOX 17 Tuesday morning.
"It's very much a shock. You know, we all kind of keep to ourselves around here," she said.
Neighbors of the unit in the Lakewood mobile home park say they were shocked to hear of the killing.
The woman, who police have not yet identified by name, was found dead after officers responded to a 911 call around 11:00pm Monday night.
Lake Odessa Police Chief Kendra Backing said, “She was dispatched to an injured female who was determined to be deceased.”
Thompson was arraigned on 1 count of open murder in Ionia County District Court Tuesday afternoon. He was denied bond.
“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the investigation," Chief Backing told FOX 17 late Tuesday afternoon.
"We were greatly assisted by the Michigan State Police and we cannot thank them enough for the amount of resources and manpower they provided to us to have such a successful outcome in this investigation.”
Chief Backing says the department has had very little prior contact with Thompson.
According to online court documents, Thompson has been charged with violent crimes before in other counties. In 2012 he pleaded guilty to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence.
Thompson is expected back in court later this month.
Chief Backing says there was at least one witness to the killing. She says officers were also able to locate some "security video" that assisted them in identifying and locationg Thompson.
“We’re very relieved and we are very saddened by the loss of this life and we know and recognize that it has affected a lot of people directly and indirectly," Backing said after the arrest Tuesday.
