March 5, 2011
By Steven Sandberg & Erin Maxson
March 5, 2011
MEDFORD, Ore., -- A Medford woman was found dead in her apartment early Saturday morning and police say her boyfriend may be responsible.
50-year-old Mitchell Below is under arrest after police found the body of his girlfriend, 49-year-old Bonnie Payne, early Saturday.
Police say they originally received a call from Below's brother earlier in the day. The brother told police Below had called him and told him he had murdered Payne, and was going to kill himself.
Police responded to the couple's apartment in the 500 block of West 6th Street in Medford, where they found Payne's body. Below had barricaded himself in the bathroom, until eventually surrendering to police.
At the time of the arrest, Below was suffering from several self-inflicted knife wounds, and was taken to an area hospital. He will be taken to Jackson County Jail once released.
Police have not released a motive or cause of death in the case, but say formal charges are expected soon from the District Attorney's office.
Neighbors said the couple had just recently moved into the apartment, and mostly kept to themselves. They said they were shocked when they woke up to the sounds of violence Saturday morning.
"I woke up to screaming and yelling. And next thing I know I hear some banging," said Chris Pomeroy, who lives across the hall.
Police had ordered everyone in the building to exit when they arrived. Pomeroy says when he was finally allowed back in later in the morning, he was horrified to see the evidence of the violent crime.
"It looks like a massacre," he said. "When [a police officer] walked me though, he's like, 'watch out for the blood.' Just pools of it."
The building is located next door to the Rogue Valley YMCA, but police say the YMCA had not opened yet when the incident occurred and was unaffected throughout the day.
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