BRADNER – The Wood County Sheriff and Prosecutor’s Office are investigating a nearly 30-year-old homicide
which occurred at a residence in the village.
According to a press release issued by the Sheriff’s Office Tuesday, the offices are investigating the
murder of Victor H. Florea, 50, which occurred on April 21, 1981.
Det. Lt. Jamie Webb of the Sheriff’s Office said this morning that the case is one of six unsolved
homicides in the Wood County jurisdiction, two of which go back as far as the 1970s. He said that he and
John Helm of the prosecutor’s office, who investigates unsolved homicides, reviewed those cases for a
"solvability factor." The Florea case was determined to be one that might have a high
possibility of being solved, Webb said.
He noted that investigators at the time had done a thorough investigation and maintained a great deal of
physical evidence from the scene. Some of that evidence has been sent to the state crime lab in hopes
that new forensic technology will "connect the dots" for who was responsible.
Webb said that the other five unsolved cases are still open, and that they have received calls with leads
about some of them, which are looked into, periodically.
Webb said that due to the murder having occurred in a small community like Bradner, he hopes that there
may still be people living in the village who may now come forward with information. He also said that
"putting it back into the media" may get people talking and generate tips or leads in the
case.
Reports published in the Sentinel-Tribune at the time stated that Florea was found dead at 10 a.m. April
21 at his residence at 205 N. Main St., where he lived in the back. The death was ruled a homicide. At
the time, Wood County Coroner Dr. Roger Peatee said that Florea had been dead approximately 12 hours
when his body was discovered.
Florea was reportedly killed by blows to the head. A statement issued by then-Sheriff George Ginter also
indicated that his wrists had been slashed. It was believed the murder may have occurred before midnight
on April 20, as the television in the residence was found on. Florea was last reported seen at 6:30 p.m.
on April 20 at a Bradner bar. Robbery was believed to have been a possible motive in the murder, as he
was supposed to have been carrying a large amount of cash from an income tax refund, and his wallet was
not found.
A veteran of the Korean War and a member of American Legion Post 338 in the village, Florea had worked
for the previous five years at Kable-Kraft Inc. in Pandora as a cable splicer. A nephew had contacted
authorities April 21 when Florea did not meet him to go to work.
Investigators are requesting that those with information regarding the homicide contact the Sheriff’s
Office at (419) 354-9087 or the Prosecutor’s Office at (419) 354-9250. Tips may also be called into the
Wood County Crime Stoppers at (419) 352-0077 or 1-800-54Crime. Tips provided to Crime Stoppers that lead
to an arrest/conviction may lead to a reward of up to $1,000.