What started as a routine crash response on a Wednesday evening quickly became something far more troubling for deputies on both sides of the Ohio-Indiana state line. Law enforcement agencies in both Ohio and Indiana are investigating the death of a woman found inside a crashed semi near the state line. Nobody knew at first that they were walking into a murder investigation.
Around 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, Preble County deputies responded to the Petro Travel Center at 9787 U.S. 40 to help Wayne County, Indiana, deputies locate a driver in a suspected fatal crash. The crash itself had occurred on the U.S. 40 entrance ramp to Interstate 70 West. It looked like a tragic accident. It wasn’t.
While speaking with the driver, he evidently made statements suggesting he may have been responsible for the death of a female passenger in the truck. That admission changed the entire nature of the scene. Investigators started to believe this death was not related to the crash, and the Wayne County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the investigation had revealed evidence indicating foul play.
The woman was subsequently identified as Shanae Robinson, 36, of Indianapolis. The suspect was identified as 38-year-old LaDavid Shaw, who was charged in Eaton Municipal Court with murder, tampering with evidence, and resisting arrest.
A Crash Call That Wasn’t
Around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, authorities were dispatched to the scene of a deadly crash on the entrance ramp to I-70 west from U.S. 40 near the state line. The search for the truck’s driver led them to the Petro Truck Stop near New Paris. That’s where the situation escalated. The man was found at the nearby Petro Travel Center. He allegedly resisted arrest, was eventually taken into custody, and then taken to a local hospital for the treatment of his injuries.
He reportedly resisted, damaging a Preble County cruiser, before being taken to Kettering Health Preble for treatment and then booked into the Preble County Jail.
Two States, One Investigation
One of the notable aspects of this case is just how seamlessly Ohio and Indiana law enforcement collaborated across a state boundary. Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson explained that his department is very familiar with working with Indiana law enforcement, describing the state line as essentially a non-issue when agencies are working together.
Both agencies worked jointly to secure and search the semi, with coroner’s offices from both sides of the state line cooperating to determine exactly what happened. A forensic autopsy was conducted at the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory in Dayton to confirm Robinson’s identity.
Charges Filed, Investigation Ongoing
Detectives attended the autopsy as normal protocol, with results expected to help move the investigation forward. Wayne County investigators also received a search warrant for the semi-truck and trailer involved in the crash.
Shaw now faces charges of murder, tampering with evidence, and resisting arrest in Eaton Municipal Court. The case remains under active investigation by both the Wayne County and Preble County Sheriff’s Offices as prosecutors build their case. Robinson’s family has been notified.