Ohio authorities cite furniture sales rivalry in '92 killing
LEBANON, Ohio -- A man arrested this week in Arizona in a 23-year-old homicide was a furniture sales competitor of the slain man in Ohio, authorities said Friday.
Sam Perone, who was arrested Thursday, formerly operated a furniture store called Just Living Rooms in Lebanon, about midway between Cincinnati and Dayton, Warren County authorities said. Authorities have said 41-year-old Richard Woods, a Columbus-area furniture salesman, had visited the store before he disappeared on Oct. 8, 1992.
"His last stop that day was at Sam Perone's furniture store," Warren County Sheriff's Lt. John Faine said. "That stop was the last time Richard was ever seen alive."
Woods was shot in the back of the head, and his body was found about a month later in a wooded area near Lebanon.
Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said investigators believe Woods was shot in the back of Perone's store, but he declined to discuss motive and said it's a challenging case.
"Any time you try to prosecute a case that's 23 years old, it's a difficult process," he said.
CBS affiliate KPHO reports investigators discovered blood at the site of Perone's store in 2009.
Authorities are seeking Perone's extradition from Phoenix, where he was arrested. A message was left Friday for an Ohio attorney who has represented Perone in the past. Details of his murder indictment weren't released by Warren County officials.
Perone, 67, previously denied involvement in Woods' slaying. He closed his store years ago, and it's not clear when he moved to Phoenix.
Police threw concussion grenades into a Phoenix home before taking him into custody there on Thursday, neighbors told KPHO.
Authorities suggested they used newer forensic techniques to develop evidence.
"There's been a tremendous advance in the use of DNA technology and other types of technology over the past 10 to 15 years," Fornshell said. He added that publicity about continued efforts to solve the cold case led new witnesses to come forward.
Investigators have described Woods as a popular, successful salesman. They said his wife hired a private investigator after he didn't call home the evening of Oct. 8, 1992, as expected.
A sheriff's official called it a coincidence that Perone's arrest was announced on the 23rd anniversary of Woods' disappearance.
"Yesterday on Oct. 8, 2015, the family of Richard Woods woke up with the thought of the 23rd anniversary of his death on their mind," Major John Burke of the Warren County, Ohio Sheriff's Office told CBS affiliate WKRC. "About 1,875 miles away from them, in Phoenix, Ariz., Sam Perone, unknown to him, was about to be woken up to face justice. That's what these guys and gals worked for all these years was justice. And I think we're on that track."
Woods' wife, now remarried, believes Perone's arrest will bring her family peace, reported WKRT.