Ishemer D. Ramsey

BUTLER TWP — State police this morning arrested a Lyndora man on charges he fatally shot his 26-year-old girlfriend.

Ishemer D. Ramsey, 21, is being held without bail in the Butler County Prison on a homicide charge.

But police still have not found the body of the victim, Melissa Barto of Butler, who they believe was killed Thursday.

Troopers were reportedly continuing to search for her remains today.

A witness told police that Ramsey claims to have shot Barto three times in the head with a .45-caliber pistol, according to court documents. The shooting happened during an argument in the defendant's car, the witness said.

The defendant was purportedly angry with Barto because he thought she was cheating on him, documents said.

When Butler Township police took Ramsey into custody following a traffic stop, his car reeked of bleach, and the passenger side seat was missing.

The investigation began about 10:30 a.m. Friday when Barto's mother showed up at the Butler police station to report her daughter missing from her North Main Street apartment.

Lisa Barto told police that she had last spoken to her daughter Thursday evening.

Police on Saturday received several tips about the woman's disappearance.

One tipster mentioned seeing Ramsey on Thursday night “cleaning and cutting the carpet” of the passenger side floor of his vehicle at a Route 356 car wash in Butler Township, according to a police affidavit.

Another tipster, a woman, remembered seeing Ramsey and James Howard-George at the Wal-Mart in Butler Township.

Trooper Brian Knirnschild along with two Butler police officers eventually interviewed Howard-George, 23, of Butler at the city police station later Saturday night.

He recounted that he had been at his home about 11 p.m. Thursday when Ramsey drove there. The two men later traveled in Ramsey's car during which he “began to vent” about Barto,” documents said.

“Ramsey believed she was cheating,” the police affidavit said, “and stated that he wanted her gone.”

The defendant dropped off Howard-George at his home but later returned and picked him up again.

This time, documents said, Ramsey allegedly admitted to killing Barto, according to Howard-George's account to investigators.

Ramsey told Howard George that he shot Melissa Barto in the head two times,” the affidavit said, and she said 'you shot me,' so Ramsey shot her a third time.”

During their investigation, Butler Township police spotted Ramsey, and stopped him driving his car on Eagle Mill Road in Connoquenessing Township.

Officers were struck by the smell of bleach and saw a bottle of bleach in the car, police said. They also noticed the missing front passenger seat. Also missing was a carpet on the passenger side floor.

Police said they found the defendant with a 1911-style .45-caliber pistol in a drop holster. He was detained and taken to the barracks in Butler Township.

A full report will appear in Monday's Butler Eagle