Eldon Kenneth Conley.

MUS-2026-0325

Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.

Eldon Kenneth Conley, 89, a WWII veteran, was stabbed to death in his home at 525 E. Main St. in Chillicothe, Ohio, on December 3, 2003, and the fire set afterward was an attempt to conceal the killing. Robbery was initially suspected as motive. Female DNA recovered from the scene has never yielded a suspect, and officials discounted a later claimed confession as not credible. The case remains unsolved.

1. Dec 3, 2003

   Fire at 525 E. Main St., Chillicothe; Conley's body is found inside.

2. Dec 2003

   Autopsy shows he had been stabbed before the fire; the blaze was deliberately set to conceal the homicide. Robbery is initially suspected as motive.

3. 2015

   Family discloses to media that detectives had recovered female DNA, blood on an envelope, that failed to yield a viable suspect.

4. 2017

   Officials determine a claimed confession lacks credibility.

5. Feb-Apr 2024

   Twentieth-anniversary coverage; the Ross County Prosecutor's Office cites lack of funding as hindering the investigation; detectives had sought genetic-genealogy testing.

6. 2026

   The case remains unsolved.

This case is with the Chillicothe Police Department. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.

• Scioto Valley Guardian: 20-year-old Chillicothe cold case remains unsolved
• Scioto Valley Guardian: Budget problems cited as reason Chillicothe killer remains free