Intruders report finding dead body, really find sleeping man

Four men are facing felony charges for allegedly entering an Oxford fraternity house in what police describe as two separate attempts to steal beer.

Officers were called to the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity for a report of two men fleeing the house after discovering what they said was a dead body, according to Oxford police.

A TKE fraternity member had called police after he was awakened by a loud crash in the early morning of Oct. 25. After discovering a window broken by a jar of peanut butter, the man said he saw two subjects fleeing the residence.

Police were able to locate the two men who had apparently fled the house a short distance away. The men admitted entering the house without permission, but said they fled after discovering a dead body on the third floor of the building, according to police.

They repeatedly urged officers to return to the residence to check on the alleged dead body, with police describing them as hysterical.

According to a report, the men had entered the house through a rear door, then opened a case of beer they found inside.

Justin H. Kuryliw, 21, 1294 Ivy St., DeKalb, Ill., and Justin J. Heuer, 30, 545 Jasmine St., DeKalb, Ill., were arrested and charged with burglary.

Officers eventually returned to the TKE house in search of a potential corpse, but instead located two subjects intoxicated and sleeping on the third floor. One of the men was taken to McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital for medical attention, and the other subject was taken to the Oxford Police Department for questioning.

Both men told police they used to live in the fraternity house and entered it after an evening of drinking, according to a report.

Police said a fire extinguisher had been discharged in the house and the men had dust from the extinguisher on their clothing, but the two men denied any involvement. One man was also lying on top of a pile of dust in the hallway and they allegedly had an open 30-pack of Natural Light beer, according to police.

Zachary J. Paull, 23, 3560 Almerinda Drive, Canfield, Ohio, and Alexander C. Campbell, 23, 1215 W. Addison, Chicago, were charged with burglary and criminal mischief and were taken to the Butler County Jail.

Information compiled from Oxford police reports. Contact this reporter at (513) 523-4139, ext. 86102, or at rgauthier@coxohio.com.

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