James Powell, 58, was found shot and unresponsive the evening of May 15, 2025, after police responded to reports of gunfire near Montrose and Eutaw in East Liverpool, Ohio. First responders determined he had been struck in the chest and died from his injuries. Early statements from investigators framed the dispute as stemming from a romantic situation described as a love triangle.

Officers identified a suspect within hours and located 33-year-old Daniel Clayton Whitley of East Liverpool hiding beneath a porch; he was taken into custody and initially charged with murder, held on a $1 million cash or surety bond. Police later recovered the handgun they said was used in the killing, and prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury that returned an indictment adding aggravated murder and a tampering-with-evidence count, both murder counts carrying firearm specifications. Whitley pleaded not guilty and remained jailed pending further proceedings.

Anyone who knew James Powell or who has information about the shooting near Montrose and Eutaw is asked to come forward.