Family of 83-year-old woman found dead reacts to step-grandson’s arrest

A day after 83-year-old Peggy Gamble was found killed in her Eighth Street home, her family was devastated to learn that Columbus police have named her step-grandson as a person of interest in her death.

Angelo Short was taken into custody at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on a theft by taking motor vehicle charge related to the beige 1988 Toyota Corolla that was missing from Gamble’s home. No one has been charged in connection with her death, Columbus Police Maj. Gil Slouchick confirmed.

“Oh my God. It killed us yesterday when we found out,” said Cenneta Gunn, Gamble’s youngest daughter. “The detective had called and told us, and it just tore us apart to know that.”

Police said it was a relative who found Gamble dead in a hallway adjacent from her bedroom around 1 p.m. Monday. She was pronounced dead at 1:34 p.m., but Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said that she was dead about eight hours before her body was found.

Authorities found evidence that someone had broken into her home, and her Toyota Corolla was missing. The vehicle was found later that night at an unspecified location in Columbus.

Slouchick declined to give the exact location, but he said it was found abandoned and Short was involved in the theft.

Staff writer Mike Owen contributed to this report.

This story was originally published November 30, 2016 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Family of 83-year-old woman found dead reacts to step-grandson’s arrest."