POLICE ARREST SUSPECTS

2 face homicide charges in pair of unlinked deaths

Wells

A fatal stabbing occurred Wednesday evening at the Royal Village mobile home park in Springfield Township. Officials allege that Judith Uyttenhove, 72, was stabbed in her mobile home.

Two men remained in the Lucas County jail Thursday night, each accused in unrelated homicides.

Denzil Wells II, 40, of 1411 Brooke Park Dr. was arraigned in Toledo Municipal Court Thursday morning and is being held in lieu of $1 million bond for murder. He’s accused of strangling Nicole Sours, 37, of Toledo, at his apartment April 13.

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Wells

Adam Akers, 41, of Springfield Township, is charged in Sylvania Municipal Court with one count of murder for the Wednesday night stabbing death of Judith Uyttenhove, 72.

Akers

An arraignment date had not been set.

After an autopsy showed Ms. Sours was strangled, Toledo police picked up Wells in Sylvania on Wednesday evening.

After being questioned by detectives, Wells was charged and arrested, said police Sgt. Joe Heffernan.

According to the initial police report on the death, Wells told police he picked up Ms. Sours from the Pour House, a bar on Bennett Road in West Toledo, at 3 a.m. April 13. The two went back to his home and eventually went to bed. At 4:30 a.m., Wells reportedly told police Ms. Sours was asleep and snoring. When Wells woke up at noon, he said he found Ms. Sours cold to the touch and purple, Sergeant Heffernan said. He called 911, and when police arrived, Ms. Sours was “tucked in,” Sergeant Heffernan said. There were no obvious signs of trauma.

Sours

Ms. Sours' death was a homicide caused by strangulation, said Dr. James Patrick, Lucas County Coroner.

Investigators collected evidence and conducted interviews but did not file charges until the death was ruled a homicide. Sergeant Heffernan said investigators “had enough evidence to charge him [Mr. Wells] with the homicide.”

A motive was not clear.

Izzy Stonopolos, a friend of Ms. Sours, described the victim as “such a great person. She was just overall a good person, you know. Big-hearted and everything. She’d go out of her way for anybody if she could.”

Ms. Stonopolos said Ms. Sours had worked only two bartending shifts at Pour House before she died. Ms. Sours had met Wells while out with friends about two weeks before her death.

After the Springfield Township death, Mr. Akers was arrested in East Toledo at a friend’s house and was booked into the Lucas County jail just before noon.

Officials allege that Mr. Akers used a knife to stab to death Ms. Uyttenhove inside the Royal Village mobile home where they lived. The mobile home park is in the 7500 block of Dorr Street.

Ms. Uyttenhove's death was a homicide caused by multiple stab wounds in the chest, Dr. Patrick said.

Residents of Royal Village described the victim as quiet but kind.

“I didn’t know much of her,” said Jennifer James, 36. “She kept to herself, but she was really nice.”

Mr. Akers called 911 at about 8:45 p.m. and told authorities he had gone out for a walk and when he returned to the mobile home he found the victim on the floor and bleeding. He said he did not know how she ended up that way, officials said. A motive was not given.

Detectives questioned the suspect Wednesday night and released him while investigators waited for possible evidence.

The victim and suspect were not related, but the victim’s deceased daughter had dated Mr. Akers’ father, detectives said.

Officials said Mr. Akers was the last person to see Ms. Uyttenhove, who used a wheelchair and cane to move about.

Detectives removed evidence from the residence and believe that they have the murder weapon.

Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.