29-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death in Desert, Police Say

A 29-year-old man was found with multiple stab wounds on the side of a desert road in western Arizona, prompting a homicide investigation that has led to the arrest of a local couple.

A motorist discovered Arron Christopher Warrne near the intersection of Silver Creek Road and Bullhead Parkway in Bullhead City around 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 7. Detectives from the Bullhead City Police Department arrived to treat the scene as a homicide. Warrne was identified as a transient in the area and a registered Level 2 sex offender. His vehicle was missing from the scene.

Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department located Warrne’s vehicle several hours later at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada. That search led to the custody of Jacob Dylan Middlebrook, 35, and his girlfriend, Layne Justine McIntosh, 36. Both were initially charged with second-degree homicide.

On Nov. 9, the Bullhead City Police Department upgraded the charges to first-degree homicide. Police stated that the couple had known Warrne for several months. Investigators said the pair expressed distaste for registered sex offenders and planned the killing in advance. They reportedly selected the desert location where they would leave the body and measured furniture and beds to determine what could cover the corpse.

Middlebrook and McIntosh, both described by police as local transients, were booked into the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. They are awaiting extradition to Mohave County, Arizona.

Police Chief Paul George addressed the community on social media on Nov. 9. He explained that the department shares information on Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders as a public service. While required notifications are mailed to residents within a 1,000-foot radius, the department posts updates on social media to reach a wider audience. George stated the goal is to provide information and help keep the community informed, not to create fear.