Man, 56, who 'murdered and dismembered his retired surgeon father, 82,' is arrested a week later just 15 minutes away from the scene in Michigan after nationwide manhunt
Police ascertain that Scott Sterffy, 56, perpetrated the grizzly killing of his retired oral surgeon father, 82-year-old Thomas Aye, whose mutilated body was found by his daughter at 7 p.m. on July 25 in the Portage home on the 5000 block of Glencove Court.
A Michigan man who allegedly killed and dismembered his elderly father was arrested Sunday just 15 minutes away from the crime scene after a nationwide manhunt.
Scott Sterffy, 56, has been charged with open murder and mutilation of a dead body in the killing of his retired oral surgeon father Thomas Aye, 82, who was found dead at his home in Portage by his daughter at 7pm on July 25.
He denied the charges at a court hearing Monday.
He told the judge: 'I refused to answer all questions, your Honor. These are terrible lies - I've never mutilated a body in my entire life. I’ve never killed anybody.'
Aye's daughter told police that she had gone to check on her father when he missed a medical appointment, and found his mutilated body on the floor.
A multi-state manhunt was kicked off for son Sterffy after he allegedly fled the state just days after the killing and was caught on security cameras at airports in Chicago and Seattle.
But on July 31, he was found in Portage's neighboring city of Kalamazoo - 15 minutes from the murder scene - and arrested, MLive reports.
The now-deceased orthodontist practiced dentistry for over 30 years, most recently at Building Functional Esthetics in Kalamazoo.
Sterffy was caught on security cameras at airports in Chicago and Seattle, police said
Aye's mutilated body was found by his daughter at 7 p.m. on July 25 in the Portage home on the 5000 block of Glencove Court
'Some severe injuries to the doctor that not only led us to seek... not only murder charges but... dismemberment and mutilation charges as well,' Nicholas Armold, the director of Portage Public Safety, told WOOD-TV.
'We were able to determine that Scott was actually staying at the house during the time we believe the murder took place.'
Sterffy's motive for allegedly killing his father is presently unclear.
Aye practiced dentistry for over 30 years, most recently at Building Functional Esthetics in Kalamazoo.
Sterffy was denied bond at his arraignment on Monday
He was president of the Kalamazoo Valley District Dental Society, according to the practice's website and was certified as a Diplomat by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
He was also a Fellow of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and a member of the Michigan Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Sterffy was denied bond at his arraignment on Monday, according to News Channel 3 WWMT.
The Portage Public Safety office could not be reached for comment.
