NORTH VERNON — A North Vernon man was arrested on numerous charges related to the murder of a Jennings County man who has been missing since late March.
Alan Joseph Marantos, 34, North Vernon, was arrested Thursday on charges of murder, robbery (Level 2 felony), aggravated battery (Level 3 felony), abuse of a corpse (Level 6 felony), obstruction of justice (Level 6 felony) and intimidation (Class A misdemeanor).
Marantos was also charged with possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 felony), resisting law enforcement (Class A misdemeanor and leaving the scene of a crash (Class B misdemeanor) as a result of his arrest on April 2.
The joint investigation by the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police began on March 28 when the family of Brian K. Kirby, 52, North Vernon, reported him missing, said Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, Indiana State Police spokesman. Kirby was last seen alive at an address on Primshire Court near North Vernon on March 27, Wheeles said.
The lengthy investigation determined that Marantos attacked Kirby at the home on Primshire Court, Wheeles said. Marantos then loaded Kirby’s body in a vehicle and left the property. Marantos took Kirby’s body to another location where Kirby’s body was burned, Wheeles said. Marantos then took the remains to multiple locations around Jennings County where they were discarded.
Investigators collected evidence, including human remains at numerous locations during the course of the investigation. The Indiana State Police Laboratory recently determined that DNA from the human remains matched the DNA of Brian Kirby.
Alan Marantos has been incarcerated in the Jackson County Jail since April 2 when he was arrested on a Jackson County warrant for robbery.
Thursday afternoon, Marantos was served an arrest warrant on the charges and he remains incarcerated in the Jackson County Jail. He will soon face an initial appearance in the Jennings Circuit Court, Wheeles said.
Agencies assisting the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police in the investigation included:
- Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
- Seymour Police Department
- Indiana Conservation Officers
- Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office
- Indiana National Guard
- Jennings County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team
- Jennings County Swift Water Rescue Team
- Indiana Department of Homeland Security
- Jennings County EMA
- Jennings County Prosecutor’s Office
- Jennings County Coroner’s Office
- Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office
- University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
