HOWARD COUNTY, Ind. — Yellow crime scene tape isn’t something folks in near Arundel Drive in Howard County really ever see.
It showed up around 11 a.m. Tuesday, along with news of a death investigation involving the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Howard County Coroner and Indiana State Police in the 1100 block of Arundel.
”It’s scary, it’s not like across town. It’s down the street,” said Fran Kern.
Kern and her husband, Rod, live near the home where the death is being investigated.
Patrick Pohl said he was walking his dog near the home with the yellow tape around it Wednesday morning.
”I was pretty surprised because things don’t usually happen around here,” Pohl said. “It’s pretty quiet.”
Rod Kern said he and Fran were out running errands till early Tuesday afternoon. Before they pulled into their driveway, they saw the yellow crime scene tape surrounding their neighbor’s house and a very active scene.
”There were people going inside the house,” Kern said. “There were probably at least four or five different officers, or people who might have been investigators, we don’t know.”
Rod said he and Fran drove down to the home and asked one of the officials out front what was going on. He couldn’t tell them any details.
“My wife says, ‘Since we live so close, we’re concerned about our safety. Can you tell us anything? Are we safe?’ and he says, ‘I believe you are,” Rod said.
So far, the sheriff has only said the situation is a death investigation.
Kern said there’s been a Howard County EMA vehicle outside the house since last night.
”I was out there at dark last night, they were still in the driveway,” Rod said. “I was out there at dawn this morning. The deputy was sitting in the driveway. I didn’t see much activity going on but obviously, he’s there watching to make sure everything is the way it’s supposed to be.”
The man inside the EMA vehicle said the agency helps the sheriff’s office out with things like crime scene security.
Multiple neighbors we spoke with said they don’t know the person or people who live at the home well – and they never noticed anything unusual there – but the situation has people shaken up.
“It’s sad,” said Diana Keegan.
Keegan was at her son’s house across the street babysitting her grandkids when we spoke with her.
”We keep our doors locked, we have security,” Keegan said. “I would want to know what’s going on but we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Howard County Coroner Dr. Steve Steele said an autopsy is expected to happen Wednesday afternoon but said there is no set time as authorities deal with unique situations in the case.
We reached out to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office for an update but have not heard back. Neighbors are waiting on an update, too.
“We want to know what happened, so we know how to prepare ourselves and our home,” Fran said. “That’s what we would like to know.”
In a statement Tuesday, the Howard County Sheriff said, “It’s the families that matter most in these tragic times and that’s who we are dedicated to getting answers for first.”
