Tuesday, March 14, 2000
Suspect in cigarette theft kills himself
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT WRIGHT - A former Kroger store manager accused of stealing $100,000 in cigarettes killed himself Saturday at a motel, police said.
Richard Martella, who worked at the Fort Mitchell store, was found hanged in the bathroom of a room at the Days Inn on Dixie Highway.
Mr. Martella, 45, had brought a rope with him to the motel, Chief Dan Kreinest said. He had pushed it up through the room's drop ceiling and tied it to pipes from the bathroom above. Officers found his body about 9:45 a.m.
Four days before his death, Mr. Martella made a court appearance on a charge of felony theft. Kenton District Judge Frank Trusty ordered his case sent to the grand jury.
Mr. Martella was accused of carrying cases of cigarettes out of the store and loading them into his car, according to court records. Police say the theft took place from June through November.
It was discovered when other store officials noticed cigarette orders were up dramatically, yet sales decreased. Mr. Martella had taken over all cigarette ordering in June.
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