(CNN) — The bodies of three men have been found in shallow graves in eastern Ohio, all of them believed to have been killed after answering a Craigslist ad to work on a cattle farm, according to authorities.
The Summit County medical examiner’s office on Saturday identified one of the victims as Timothy Kern of Massillon, Ohio. The 47-year-old’s death, caused by “gunshot wounds to the head,” was ruled a homicide, the office said in an audio recording.
A phone call led police Friday to Kern’s body in a shallow grave behind an Akron mall, authorities said. Multiple law enforcement authorities, including FBI officials, have tied Kern’s death to a wider investigation into the two other killings.
In his last Facebook posting, dated November 10, Kern wrote: “Just got one of the strangest job offers. A good offer but strange. The job is to watch over 680 acres south of cambridge. Odd jobs and such but mainly just secure it. Trailer, utilities, salary. Drawbacks? No cell phone service, kids are up here, and i have to move this Sunday.”
Meanwhile, the body of a “white male” was also discovered Friday “in a shallow grave in Stock Township,” about 120 miles south of Akron, Noble County Sheriff Stephen Hannum said in a statement.
The sheriff did not respond to calls Saturday from CNN. But Hannum said earlier this month that there are “two suspects in custody” in the case.
