DA: DNA evidence links man to death of woman found dumped in lot

Evidence collected from the body of a woman found dumped in a gravel parking lot last month led investigators to charge a man who lived near the victim.

Lawrence County authorities charged Gaylord Spell, 44, of New Castle, with homicide and abuse of a corpse in connection with 40-year-old Sueann Brest's death.

Her naked body was found March 1 in an abandoned lot near the Lawrence County vocational-technical school in Shenango Township, authorities said. The lack of blood in the parking lot indicates her body was dumped there after she was murdered elsewhere.

An autopsy revealed the mother of four had been bludgeoned with a hammer or tire iron and died of massive head injuries.

A national DNA database found blood and semen taken from Brest's body came from Spell, officials said.

Spell's DNA had been sampled because he had been convicted of assault in Virginia, District Attorney John Bongivengo said.

The day Brest's body was found, a passer-by about 25 miles away found bloody women's clothing along a road in Adams Township, Butler County, police said. A pair of size 12 men's slippers also was found near the clothes.

Also, a state trooper on March 7 found a sofa arm cover with blood on it along a road in Portersville, about 15 miles from where the body was found. Investigators said a search of Spell's house Friday found a sofa with the same pattern that matched the sofa arm cover.

Spell worked a few miles from where the bloodied clothing was found and told police he wore a size 12 shoe, authorities said.

Spell, however, denied knowing Brest, police said.

Spell was held in the Lawrence County Jail without bond. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.