They were arrested on Wednesday.
Hagerstown, Md (KM). A man and a woman have been charged with a double homicide in Washington County. Darren Scott Warner, 24, of Smithsburg, and Destiny Oyler, 20, also of Smithsburg, are both charged with two counts of 1st-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit 1st-degree murder, two counts of 2nd-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit 2nd-degree murder, two counts of 1st-degree assault, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft.
The two are being held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded on Wednesday afternoon to a home and farm at 17342 Shepardstown Pike in Sharpsburg for an unattended death investigation. They were told by one family friend that he showed up at the farm at 11:00 AM to collect several bales of hay, and it appeared no one was home and the family’s truck was missing. The property is a working farm with cattle that need daily care. But they had not been fed or watered.
A second family friend told deputies that one of the residents, Jack Rowland, was supposed to meet him that day, and did not show up.
A family friend checked the residence, and found Jack Rowland, and his mother, Evelyn Rowland, deceased inside. “When our deputies arrived on the scene, they conducted a search of the residence. They did locate Mr. Rowland in the dining area. It appeared he sustained a gunshot wound. They additionally located Evelyn Rowland who was deceased in the living room area of the residence and it appears that she too had sustained a gunshot wound,” says Deputy 1st-Class Carly Hose with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
“During a search of the house, we discovered a single-shot shotgun was missing from the gun cabinet from within the residence,” says Hose. “And it was determined that the rear door to the residence had been forced open.” She also said Jack Rowland’s GMC pickup was missing.
As they were conducting their investigation, detectives learned that Warner was Evelyn Rowland’s grandson, and had been caught stealing from the farm and other family members. They also found out that Warner had lived at the home for four years, and was familiar with the house and the property.
A look out for the GMC pickup was broadcast to other law enforcement agencies within Washington County. “A short time later, a Smithsburg officer was in the area of Crystal Falls Drive and actually located the stolen GMC pickup truck in the driveway of a home at 12110 Crystal Falls Drive,” says Deputy Hose.
A perimeter was set up around the house, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The Washington County Special Response Team was dispatched to the area, and took Warner and Oyler into custody without incident.
On Thursday, May 3rd, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sheriff’s Office executed a search and seizure warrant on the home on Crystal Falls Drive. “Inside the residence, they located the stolen pickup truck’s keys, including items with dark stains consistent with possible blood splatter,” says Hose.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who has purchased tools or machinery from either Warner or Oyler within the last few days to contact Lt. Alton at 240-313-2185. Officials are also asking businesses which have accepted a large amount of coin currency from either suspect to contact Lt. Alton.
By Kevin McManus