Man, woman found shot to death in home

The mail carrier noticed that something was amiss during a stop Wednesday afternoon at a South Linden house.

A front window appeared to be broken. When the carrier looked inside the house in the 1000 block of East 19th Avenue, someone inside was lying on the floor, covered in blood, police said.

Columbus police were called at 2:54 p.m. on a well-being check, which quickly turned into a double homicide investigation. A man and woman were found shot to death inside, said Sgt. Stan Latta, supervisor of the second shift homicide squad.

They were identified late Wednesday night as the homeowner, Donte A. Moorer, 39, and Janelle A. Reese, 33, who is believed to be Moorer's girlfriend. They were pronounced dead at 3:21 p.m. by a Columbus Fire paramedic.

It is the fourth double homicide investigation handled by Columbus police this year.

Chris Charles, who knows the family, said he heard that Moorer was found just inside the door and his girlfriend also was found dead inside the house. The 979-squarefoot, wood-frame house is located close to the corner of Hamilton Avenue.

Latta said police are just starting the investigation and haven’t determined when the people at the house were last seen alive.

Crime scene detectives were combing the front porch of the residence, where there were several orange cones over possible shells or other material evidence.

Latta said he expected detectives would be at the scene until late Wednesday or early today. Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 614-645-4730.