Suspect charged in woman's death - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

$1 million bond for man charged in woman's death

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Toledo, OHIO (WTVG) -  A suspect has been arrested and charged in the gruesome death of a Toledo woman  at the DSI Properties Apartments on West Sylvania Avenue.

Officers responded to a call of a body inside an apartment and found the body of a 49-year-old Joan Watson on the kitchen floor of her apartment. Police say she had multiple stab wounds and other injuries.

Detectives spent Sunday at the apartment and could be seen taking several bags of evidence from the victim's home.

After several hours, 66-year-old James M. Day Sr. was charged with murder. Police say he admitted he was in the apartment overnight drinking and smoking crack cocaine with the victim. Officers also say he had blood on his hands and clothes; including inside his pants pockets. Court documents say Day admitted no one else was in the apartment.

A woman who identified herself as the victim's niece says she learned about the crime on Facebook and came to the scene. 

MeMe White said, "When I woke up I seen on Facebook that there was a mutilated body found of a woman and I seen the building and the police cars. She's a good person and this should have happened to nobody. It never should have happened."  MeMe says she saw her aunt just Saturday night.

A neighbor of Watson's said he's not surprised there is an investigation at the complex. Bruce Bacon says he saw people coming and going from the victim's apartment frequently. "I knew it had to happen sooner or later, the stuff that goes on around here."

Day appeared in Toledo Municipal Court Monday morning and was assigned a public defender. Bond was set at one million dollars. He's set to be back in court next Tuesday, January 22nd, for a preliminary hearing.

Investigators are not speaking about the case. 

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