Does anyone understand the motive behind this? Was it money or a dispute of some kind?

Gary Franke, 81, of Lancaster, Ohio, was found dead on August 9, 2025, after officers conducting a welfare check at his South Maple Street property discovered his body in a shallow grave in woods near the home. The Fairfield County Coroner ruled the death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound. Authorities said the body had been buried on the property, a detail investigators described as deliberate concealment.

Neighbors and family remembered Franke as a generous man who often helped people trying to get back on their feet; obituary and memorial postings and community gatherings emphasized that reputation. Investigators quickly focused on two people and said the killing was not random. By the evening of August 9 police had identified and interviewed John T. Scott, 44, of Laurelville, and Holly L. McDaniel, 45, of Columbus. Scott was arrested and initially charged with aggravated murder; McDaniel was arrested on a charge of abuse of a corpse. A Fairfield County grand jury later returned indictments against Scott including aggravated murder, murder, robbery, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse, and additional charges including abuse of a corpse were returned against McDaniel.

Court proceedings were under way as investigators from Lancaster Police, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office pursued additional evidence. Did anyone in Lancaster know Franke or have information about his relationships with the people police identified?