CALDWELL – A preliminary hearing has been set for one count of murder in Noble County after a shooting this past weekend left three children without their mother.

“We’re not going to release any more details at this time,” said Noble County Sheriff Jason Mackie on Tuesday. “But the investigation is still ongoing.”

Mackie said that his office is retaining custody of Tyler Thompson, 28, of 48575 Outpost Road, Caldwell, who was arrested Sunday at his home which he shared with the deceased, his fiancee Leah Brooke Hines.

According to family social media postings on the Noble County Sheriff’s page, an online fundraising campaign for Hines’ funeral expenses and to take care of her children, including a 5-month-old baby, has been launched.

“We got a call Sunday at the office that somebody had been shot,” said Mackie. “(The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations) helped process the crime scene alongside our detectives.”

Thompson would still require formal indictment before a trial date would be set in the county court.

Noble County Prosecutor Jordan Croucher notarized the sheriff’s criminal complaint for the first-degree felony count of murder in Noble County Court this week but Monroe County Judge Jason A. Yoss is presumed to preside over the hearing next week following the death of Noble County’s judge in February.

“After our judge passed, the (Ohio) Supreme Court has had other judges appointed and covering,” said Mackie. “We’re not quite sure what that will mean for this hearing, there’s been a mix of in-person and some (virtual) hearings. The court doesn’t have the most up-to-date technology yet, but with COVID restrictions I can’t imagine the judge will let many people in to watch in-person.”

Yoss, Belmont County Judge Eric Costine and retired Judge John Sullivan have each shared the duties while awaiting an interim appointment by Gov. Mike DeWine for Judge Lucien “Edsel” Young III’s seat until the post can appear on the ballot in the fall of 2022 to fulfill the term which expires on Dec. 31, 2024.

Janelle Patterson may be reached at jpatterson@mariettatimes.com.