Sheriff's detectives have arrested a father and son in connection with the triple homicides in Forestville on Feb. 5. The arrested men, now in custody in New Mexico and Colorado, are the second and third suspects to be arrested. The first arrest was a Colorado man taken into custody in Alabama in February. The slayings left three men dead from gunshot wounds at a residence on Ross Station Road. The homicides were thought to be related to a drug deal gone bad, according to earlier reports by the Sheriff's Department.
Francis R. Dwyer, age 65, has been arrested at his residence in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He is currently in custody in New Mexico and will be extradited to Sonoma County in the near future, according to a news release. He is going to be booked for murder and a variety of other charges, according to the Sheriff's Department. The District Attorney's Office will have more information on the specific charges at a later date, it was reported.
Odin Leonard Dwyer, age 38, the son of Francis, was arrested just outside of Denver. Records show that he had previously resided in various other Colorado cities, including Golden. Odin is currently in custody in Colorado and will be extradited to Sonoma County in the near future, the Sheriff's Department reported. He is also going to be booked for murder and a variety of other charges.
The gold Ford Ranger noted in the investigation is reported to be registered to Francis Dwyer. The Sheriff's Department had earlier reported that Francis and Odin had been seen traveling with Mark Cappello, a suspect in the homicides, through Wyoming, Nevada, and into Napa County just days prior to the homicide. An investigation in Alabama, Colorado, and New Mexico led investigators to believe that all three suspects played a role in the murders of Raleigh Butler, Todd Klarkowski and Richard Lewin, the Sheriff's Department stated in the news release.
Butler, 26, was reported to be a former Petaluma resident who most recently was living in the Lake Tahoe area; Lewin, 46, was from Huntington, N.Y.; and Todd Klarkowski, 42, was from Boulder, Colo., according to the Sheriff's Department.
Sheriff's detectives recovered evidence believed to be from the Butler residence in Forestville.
Cappello will be booked into the Sonoma County Jail within the next several days. He was arrested in Alabama on Feb. 14.
"Although we have the three suspects we believe are responsible for this homicide, this investigation is ongoing and there is still a great deal of follow up work to be done, including but not limited to further interviews of persons both in and out of the state," the news release states.
There will be a press conference at 3 p.m. this afternoon at the Sheriff's Department.
