Police arrested a Sweet Home man last week after an investigation led them to believe he may be involved in the death of his girlfriend.
Sweet Home Police Department’s Detective Sean Potter arrested Jerod L. Norman, 40, on charges of second degree murder and first degree abuse of a corpse on Jan. 13 at about 3:24 p.m. He has been indicted on both counts. Norman is being held without bail at Linn County Jail.
The arrest was made after a months-long investigation into the death of Norman’s girlfriend, Mariah Ashley Winter King, 29, on July 18, 2024, which occurred at their shared residence, 2241 Nandina St.
The death initially appeared to be a suicide, but SHPD investigators arranged for a post-mortem examination and a foreign object was discovered inside the victim’s body.
“Any time we have a call, and this came in as a suicide, we always have the medical examiner notified,” Police Chief Jason Ogden said. “The ME (medical examiner) will generally come out and assist with the investigation.
“There was enough concern at the house that the ME wanted to have a post-mortem done. The post-mortem exam was where this thing changed course.”
The victim’s family was notified of the arrest, police said.
Micaela Gabrielle King, the victim’s sister, said she couldn’t say a whole lot about the case because it is proceeding through the court process and includes “very sensitive information.”
“What I can say is when they took a closer look, nothing pointed to suicide,” she said.
She said Jerod Norman called her at 11:35 p.m. on July 18 “bawling,” and told her that he and his father had found her sister deceased. She said she believed investigators had found a “staged” scene when they arrived.
Police said investigators are still seeking contact with Norman’s father, David L. Norman, 65, for a secondary interview. Anyone aware of his whereabouts is asked to contact Potter by phone at (541) 367-5181 or in person at 1950 Main St.
“We need to talk to him,” Ogden said.
Micaela King described her sister as “a beautiful, kind, loving generous woman” who was “an excellent mother who made each and every occasion planned and beautiful.
“She was hard working, thoughtful and loved to paint rocks. She was extremely artistic and she never hurt anyone in her life.”
A vigil to remember Mariah King is planned for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, at Northside Park. Micaela King set up a GoFundMe for Mariah’s kids’ college funds at bit.ly/4jin367.
Story updated Jan. 18, 2025, to include details from Micaela King and Jason Ogden