Butler neighborhood shaken by homicide of 69-year-old
The peace of a Butler neighborhood was shattered on Saturday, Feb. 21, when Butler police discovered the body of 69-year-old James P. Hoover in his residence on Miller Avenue at about 4 p.m. and determined the death to be homicide.
As of Sunday afternoon, a small piece of yellow police caution tape still could be seen hanging on a bush next to Hoover’s home, a silent indicator to the horrors that had been found the previous day.
A suspect, Richard Alan Swann II, 37, was identified and arrested, and is detained in Butler County Prison. State police say Swann is facing charges of homicide, robbery, aggravated assault and theft by unlawful taking.
Hoover’s body was found by neighbors, who then notified police.
“I was in shock,” said Amanda Gibson, who lived next door to Hoover. “I was leaving for work, and his friends were standing on the front porch of his house. They asked me if I’d heard anything. I said, ‘No, why?’ And they said, ‘Jimmy’s inside, and he’s dead.’ And I was just in total shock.”
“I was just devastated,” said Dave Patton, who also lived nearby. “It's terrible because we knew Jimmy personally. On our street … we’re all pretty close. We talk, we see each other a lot regularly, we have conversations with each other.”
Additional information regarding Hoover’s death, including his time of death, was unavailable Sunday afternoon.
According to neighbors who spoke to the Butler Eagle, friends of Hoover became concerned after not hearing from him for a number of days.
“(Jimmy’s friends) had gone in the house to check on him, because they had been trying to get a hold of him for a couple days, and he wasn’t responding,” Patton said. “So they went to his house to check on him and they found him in the house.”
“It’s my understanding that Jimmy had not been seen for a few days,” Gibson said. “His friend asked for a wellness check, and that’s when they found Jimmy.”
Hoover’s death meant more than just the loss of peace of mind for the normally serene neighborhood. It meant the loss of a great friend and neighbor, according to Gibson and Patton.
“I moved into the neighborhood about six or seven years ago, and Jimmy instantly was a big help,” Patton said. “He was just a super nice dude. If we needed anything, he was there.”
Gibson described a notable recent encounter she had with Hoover as she was trying to dig out from last month’s snowstorm.
“I was trying to dig my car out and go to work,” Gibson said. “Before I knew it, I heard this voice behind me. He’s got a shovel in hand, and he just shoveled right along with me and helped me. That’s just who he was. That’s the kind of thing he did.”
Butler County Coroner Korynne Young said Hoover’s death remains under investigation.
The Pennsylvania State Police, who are handling the investigation, did not respond to a request for comment from the Butler Eagle.
