Clermont County man charged with killing his father

A Clermont County man has been charged with murder after his father was found dead at a Batavia residence.

On Nov. 24 at 9:38 p.m., the Clermont County Communication Center received a 911 call from a resident in the 500 block of West Main Street in the Village of Batavia. The caller reported the death of his father.

Officers from the Village of Batavia Police Department responded to the scene to begin the investigation. The first officer arrived on the scene at 9:43 p.m. and located the victim, a 60-year-old Batavia man, lying unresponsive inside the residence. Central Joint Fire/EMS responded to the scene; however, the victim was pronounced deceased.

On Nov. 26, the Batavia Police Department requested assistance from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office with this investigation. Detectives and the Crime Scene Unit from the CCSO responded to the scene for further investigation and processing.

After several interviews with family members and witnesses, the son of the deceased, Zane Pelfrey, was identified as the suspect allegedly directly responsible for the death of his father. He was located at the residence and transported to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit. Pelfrey was interviewed by detectives and was forthcoming with details related to his alleged involvement in his father’s death.

The Clermont County Coroner’s Office transported the victim’s body to the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy.

Pelfrey, 39, has been arrested and charged with one count of murder, a felony of the first degree. He was scheduled to appear in Clermont County Municipal Court Monday for his arraignment.

This investigation remains ongoing and will be reviewed in its entirety with the Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office for presentation to a grand jury for consideration of additional charges.