By David Lohr
October 11, 2007
CENTERVILLE, Ind. (Crime Library) — Centerville Police arrested the boyfriend of the first of two sisters who recently died under mysterious circumstances fewer than six days apart last month.
James McFarland, Jr., 23, was arrested without incident at a home in Cambridge City at about 4 p.m. yesterday on a preliminary charge of murder in the September 1 death of his girlfriend, 19-year-old Erin Stanley. McFarland is also the father of Erin's infant daughter, Alexis McFarland.
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| James McFarland |
Police say McFarland has been a person of interest in the case since the investigation began. McFarland initially cooperated with police, but when he was asked to come in for a second interview, he invoked his right to an attorney.
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| Erin Stanley |
According to Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman, the decision to arrest McFarland came after his office received the pathologist's report, which revealed Erin died of "asphyxia due to strangulation."
"It is not new, but it is finalized in a report," Shipman told WSBT.com. "Having the pathologist's report is very critical to this investigation."
The subsequent death of Erin's sister, Kelly Stanley, 18, who was found dead in the same home on September 7, is still under investigation. Shipman would not comment on whether McFarland is also considered a suspect in her death, which police have labeled as "suspicious."
"The pathologist has not determined the second death as a homicide," Shipman told the Associated Press. "And until the pathologist determines it to be a homicide, I am unwilling to name anyone in that particular investigation."
Next Page
New Details Emerge in Deaths of Erin and Kelly Stanley
Deaths of Erin and Kelly Stanley Mystify Residents of Centerville, Indiana
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