Police upgraded the allegations to first-degree homicide after investigators said the suspects had selected a desert location before the victim’s death.
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. — Authorities have upgraded the allegations against a Bullhead City couple to first-degree homicide after investigators said the pair planned the killing of a 29-year-old man whose body was found along a desert road Saturday.
The victim was identified as Arron Christopher Warren, 29, according to the Bullhead City Police Department. Police said Warren was found dead Nov. 7 in the 3100 block of Silver Creek Road, about a mile east of Bullhead Parkway. Investigators said he had suffered multiple stab wounds. Jacob Dylan Middlebrook, 35, and his girlfriend, Layne Justine McIntosh, 36, were arrested later that day in Laughlin, Nevada.
A motorist reported seeing Warren’s body along the roadside at about 11:45 a.m., police said. Officers responded and called homicide detectives after determining that the circumstances appeared suspicious. Investigators soon learned that Warren’s vehicle was missing and identified a possible suspect as they worked to trace the vehicle.
At about 4:40 p.m., Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers located Warren’s vehicle parked at a casino in Laughlin, just across the Colorado River from Bullhead City, authorities said. Middlebrook and McIntosh were taken into custody there and booked into the Clark County Detention Center. They were initially arrested on suspicion of second-degree homicide while awaiting extradition to Mohave County.
Police announced Monday that the allegations had been upgraded to first-degree homicide after investigators uncovered information they said indicated the killing had been planned in advance. According to police, Middlebrook and McIntosh had known Warren for several months and had expressed hostility toward registered sex offenders. Warren was identified by authorities as a registered Level 2 sex offender.
Investigators further allege that the couple selected the desert location before Warren was killed and intended to leave his body there. Police also said the pair had measured discarded furniture or beds along the roadside to determine whether the items might be large enough to cover a body. Those claims are allegations from the ongoing investigation and have not been proven in court.
Bullhead City Police Chief Paul George said the department provides public notifications about certain registered sex offenders to help residents stay informed, but stressed that the information is not intended to encourage threats or violence. George said the department would not tolerate people using offender information as a reason to threaten, intimidate, harass or harm someone.
Police said Warren, Middlebrook and McIntosh were all experiencing homelessness in the Bullhead City area. Authorities have not publicly released a full account of what happened before Warren’s death or detailed all of the evidence they say links the couple to the killing. Investigators have also not announced whether additional allegations could be filed as the case moves into Arizona courts.
Middlebrook and McIntosh remained in the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas while awaiting extradition to Mohave County. The Bullhead City Police Department said the homicide investigation remains active. Both suspects are accused of crimes but have not been convicted, and the allegations against them remain subject to court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated November 10, 2026.