Sluder investigation? Not really

FREMONT — The documented investigation into Leigh Ann Sluder's death is sparse.Sluder was found March 1, 2009, by now accused murderer Daniel Myers in her bed in a back bedroom of her trailer. She had a gunshot wound to her chest. A .22 caliber rifle was found in the bed with her. Her death was ruled a suicide. Her death could have occurred the night before on Feb. 28. Her death came to the attention of Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton when Myers was recently arrested for the April 2015 death of Heather Bogle.The sparse investigation left Hilton scratching his head.A review of the Sandusky County Sheriffs Sluder file leaves many questions about her death. "When I looked at the file I questioned how she shot herself," Hilton has previously said. Sluder was five foot three inches tall.One document, written by Detective David Meyer, could be considered an investigative report. It hasn't been released as the matter is still under review.Hilton and Prosecutor Tim Braun allowed the Sandusky Register to review the file.The report states deputies entered the room, moved the blankets uncovering her legs and ankles. Sluder, dressed in a black shirt, jeans and white socks, was lying in bed with a single contact gunshot wound to the front of the chest, meaning the rifle was close to, or against, the skin.An unsigned preliminary autopsy report from Diane Scala-Barnett indicates the exit wound was left of midback and the wound path indicated the shot traveled "midline to the left and downward." A complete autopsy report was not in the file.Detectives talked to Myers who told them the last time he saw Leigh Ann was Feb. 27. They were never married but lived together for about a year and had a son together. On the day he found Sluder, Myers sent her a text message to tell her she could come pick up their son. She did not answer. A few minutes later he walked down to her trailer with their son, but she didn't answer the door. Myers soon returned and used a key to let himself in. He told detectives he told his son to wait on the couch and walked down the hallway. He found Leigh Ann in the back bedroom, unresponsive."Dan stated he first called out to Leigh Ann, telling her to get out of bed. Dan stated he did not get any reply," Meyers wrote in his report. "Dan stated he looked around and noticed the rifle, touched her face and talked to her."He used her cell phone to call 911 and then called family."Dan stated Leigh had a mild case of depression and was on Zoloft," Meyers wrote.A note in Meyer's report indicate Detective James Consolo talked to Myers as well, and was told the same story. Consolo has no report in the file.No indication is in the file that show detectives challenged Myers story or that they talked to neighbors.Even if they had no reason to doubt his statement, nothing in the file indicates how they tried to corroborate his story.On March 2, 2009, the detective bureau received calls from Sluder's father, a friend and Sluder's ex-husband who all expressed doubts that Sluder killed herself.Sluder's ex-husband said even in the midst of a messy divorce, Leigh Ann never expressed suicidal thoughts.Nothing was documented to indicate detectives talked to Myers about her family's concerns. Nothing indicated what answers detectives gave to Sluder's family in response to their doubts.Also not in the file;* Any report to indicate they performed a gunshot residue test on Myers or on Sluder.* Any specific written detail in the report as to the location of the rifle in relation to Sluder's body.The Sandusky County Coroner's office did not respond to repeated requests for the autopsy report. Reach Melissa Topey at topey@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @topeymelissa and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterDaniel Myers enters the temporary courtrooms for Sandusky County at Terra Community College in Fremont for his arraignment on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. He is accused of the death of Heather Bogle.