UPDATE 3/9/23 — The name of the woman Poole is accused of murdering was released by police.
The Springfield Police Department in a press release wrote that the woman found in Poole’s home was Crystal M. Dye, 41, of Springfield.
Dye’s next of kin has been notified.
The police are asking anyone with any information about the incident or the nature of Poole and Dye’s relationship to call them at 417-864-1810.
Original article, published March 8, 2023:
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A man is arrested after Springfield Police responded to a call from South Clinton Avenue about a woman who was not breathing.
Jerome George Poole, 59, of Springfield, is formally charged with one felony count of second-degree murder.
At 3:29 a.m. on March 7, police responded to a residence to investigate the call. The caller was Poole. Police found a woman deceased on a bed in a bedroom.
According to a probable cause statement, Poole said he did not know the woman’s name. He told them that everything was “cool” and that she had been talking to him while he was doing the dishes. Poole said he asked her if she was still awake and he did not receive a response.
When he went to check on her, he thought she was asleep but then realized she was unresponsive and began performing CPR on her.
The woman had abrasions, cuts and bruises on her body and clumps of what appeared to be her own hair in her hand. Hair was also on the ground of the bedroom.
The woman was identified as 41-year-old Crystal M. Dye of Springfield.
An autopsy showed that she had injuries consistent with strangulation and rib fractures. She also had cuts on her neck that were consistent with cuts caused by fingernails.
At 3:30 p.m., police contacted Poole again. He told police that he had known her for less than a year and that she called herself different names. She arrived at his home on March 6 to spend the night with him.
Poole is not yet scheduled for a court appearance. He is being held without bond. OzarksFirst will update this article as more information is released.
