News
Released: October 16, 2019 - Wednesday, 05:03 PM
On 1-19-17, the Tucson Police Department responded to the Travel Inn, located at 6161 E. Benson Highway, Tucson, Arizona, for a report of a body found deceased underneath the bed in one of the inn’s rooms, that appeared to be a homicide. Tucson Detectives responded and processed the scene. Multiple items of evidence were collected including video surveillance of the victim entering the room, and later two Caucasian male adults entering the room (later identified as Preston Scott Scruggs and James Russell Cook). The video surveillance later showed Scruggs and Cook leave the room, but not the victim. In January of 2018, the Tucson Police Department obtained a confession to the killing of the victim from Cook. Further investigative leads pointed to Scruggs as being involved with the homicide.
The investigation led the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office to assist Detectives from the Tucson Police Department, with obtaining DNA evidence and conducting an interview with Preston Scott Scruggs on 10-16-19. At the conclusion of this joint effort, Scruggs was arrested on an extraditable homicide warrant out of Tucson, Arizona. Scruggs will serve his remaining sentence on his charges in San Luis Obispo County, and then be turned over to authorities from Tucson, Arizona.
Homicide Suspect out of Arizona Arrested
Contact: Grace NorrisPhone: (805) 781-4483Date and time of incident: 10-16-19, Approximately 10:00 AMPlace of Occurrence: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office Headquarters, San Luis ObispoVictim Information: Richard KohlmeierSuspect Information: Preston Scott Scruggs, 28, San Luis ObispoOn 10-8-19 the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division was contacted by the Tucson, Arizona Police Department requesting assistance with a person of interest in a homicide case they were currently investigating. The person of interest, Preston Scott Scruggs, was in custody in the San Luis Obispo County Jail on unrelated charges. The case being investigated by the Tucson Police Department is as follows:On 1-19-17, the Tucson Police Department responded to the Travel Inn, located at 6161 E. Benson Highway, Tucson, Arizona, for a report of a body found deceased underneath the bed in one of the inn’s rooms, that appeared to be a homicide. Tucson Detectives responded and processed the scene. Multiple items of evidence were collected including video surveillance of the victim entering the room, and later two Caucasian male adults entering the room (later identified as Preston Scott Scruggs and James Russell Cook). The video surveillance later showed Scruggs and Cook leave the room, but not the victim. In January of 2018, the Tucson Police Department obtained a confession to the killing of the victim from Cook. Further investigative leads pointed to Scruggs as being involved with the homicide.
The investigation led the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office to assist Detectives from the Tucson Police Department, with obtaining DNA evidence and conducting an interview with Preston Scott Scruggs on 10-16-19. At the conclusion of this joint effort, Scruggs was arrested on an extraditable homicide warrant out of Tucson, Arizona. Scruggs will serve his remaining sentence on his charges in San Luis Obispo County, and then be turned over to authorities from Tucson, Arizona.
