A white supremacist who allegedly raped and murdered his girlfriend in February was indicted by a Highland County grand jury Tuesday on a litany of felony charges.
James Carver, 40, New Vienna, is accused of shooting and killing 33-year-old Heather Camp on Feb. 17 by shooting her in the chest.
The grand jury on Tuesday indicted Carver for murder, an unclassified felony, with a specification that he displayed, brandished, indicated possession of or used a firearm; rape, a first-degree felony; having weapons under disability; domestic violence; and tampering with evidence, each a third-degree felony.
As previously reported, Carver was arrested on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 21, after a three-day manhunt that took investigators from Greenfield to Dayton.
Carver was being sought as a suspect in the death of Camp, who died from a gunshot wound to the chest on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Adena Greenfield Medical Center in Greenfield.
Dr. Jim McKown, an investigator for the Highland County Coroner’s Office, said Camp was taken to the emergency room by an acquaintance at about 6 a.m. that morning. Officials said a resuscitation attempt was unsuccessful and she died from the wound.
According to McKown, Camp’s body had extensive facial bruising indicating repeated physical trauma in the days leading up to her death.
According to the indictment, Carver allegedly raped and murdered Camp on Feb. 17.
Numerous Facebook posts indicated Camp and Carver were girlfriend and boyfriend.
Carver was taken into custody without incident at a Dayton residence on the evening of Feb. 21, officials said.
A tampering charge filed against Carver by the Greenfield Police Department alleges that he moved a blood-stained bra and shirt from a Greenfield residence knowing a criminal investigation was to come.
According to a law enforcement affidavit, two witnesses told police that Carver brought Camp to their home on South Seventh Street in Greenfield at approximately 8:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18 with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Witnesses said Carver brought in a women’s tote and a pink gym bag, according to the affidavit, and when police later executed a search warrant at a known residence of Carver on McVey Road, they found the bags containing a blood-stained bra and a blood-stained shirt with a small hole in the chest area.
Carver has a lengthy criminal record, having been convicted of more than 30 offenses in Clinton County and Highland County courts, including aggravated assault, attempted abduction, domestic violence, receiving stolen property, disorderly conduct, assault and endangering children.
Carver was on parole in Missouri at the time of the killing, according to Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera.
Highland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney James Roeder said during a previous court hearing that Carver is affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood and was at one point using his connections to raise money for bail.
Carver has a variety of prominent tattoos on his face and neck as well as other parts of his body, including tribal symbols on the sides of his face, numbers beneath his eyes often associated with white supremacy, and what appears to be the word “anger” across his throat.
As of Wednesday, Feb. 20, a photo appearing on a Facebook account apparently belonging to Carver showed a logo containing a swastika, a skull and guns, as well as the text, “Aryan Strikeforce Combat 18.” That account is no longer available.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Aryan Strikeforce is a white supremacist group with a unit known as Combat 18.
Two tattoos on Carver’s face — the number 14 under one eye and 88 under the other — are often associated with white supremacy, according to an entry in the Anti-Defamation League’s online Hate Symbols Database.
The number 14 is a reference to a popular white supremacist slogan containing 14 words, and the number 88 is an alphanumeric code for HH, standing for “Heil Hitler,” according to the entry.
Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570.
