Higgins
Miami County Sheriff’s Office
By Sam Wildow
TROY — A competency hearing was scheduled for a Troy man who reportedly admitted to killing his roommate.
Sean Christopher Higgins, 25, of Troy, entered a new plea on Thursday to the charges against him, which include aggravated murder, in connection with the death of 25-year-old Easton Ho. Higgins’ attorney Jose Lopez filed a written plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on Higgins’ behalf, along with a motion for a competency hearing in Miami County Municipal Court. The competency hearing for Higgins is scheduled for May 3.
Higgins was incarcerated on the evening of April 14 and charged with first-degree felony aggravated murder, third-degree felony tampering with evidence, fourth-degree felony grand theft of a motor vehicle, fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property, and fifth-degree felony abuse of a corpse.
Higgins was charged in connection with the death of his roommate, Ho, whose remains were located and identified in Randolph County, Indiana, within a mile of where police believe Higgins disposed of Ho’s body. Investigators also believe Higgins abused Ho’s corpse by “cutting off the dead victim’s thumb and keeping it to access and use the victim’s cellular phone,” according to Municipal Court documents.
The investigation into Ho’s disappearance and death began on the morning of April 14 when officers received a call of a missing man from 2200 Morning Glory Circle, Troy, under suspicious circumstances. According to a press release from the Troy Police Department, Ho’s roommates reported he had sent strange texts to them at 2:45 a.m. and failed to show up at work that morning in Miamisburg. Troy officers spent the day attempting to locate Ho and notified other law enforcement agencies to be on the look-out for Ho and his missing vehicle.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., Troy officers were notified that Ho’s vehicle was located in the city of Kettering. Upon further investigation, evidence was found that led officers to believe that Ho was a victim of foul play. Ho’s body was later recovered in Indiana.
Detectives interviewed the roommates, and Higgins admitted to killing Ho, according to the Troy Police Department. Higgins’ interview led to key pieces of evidence being recovered. Higgins was then incarcerated in the Miami County Jail on multiple charges, including aggravated murder.
Higgins total bond is currently set at $1,515,000, and he continues to be held in the Miami County Jail.
