MAN INDICTED FOR AGGRAVATED MURDER OF WOMAN AND SETTING HER BODY ON FIRE IN UPPER ARLINGTON PARK TO

MAN INDICTED FOR AGGRAVATED MURDER OF WOMAN AND SETTING HER BODY ON FIRE IN UPPER ARLINGTON PARK TO AVOID DETECTION

Posted on 10/31/2018

Defendant: Mohamed Abdigafar Abdullahi

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “Not only did this man murder this young woman, but he also set her body on fire in a park in Upper Arlington in order to avoid detection for the crimes he had committed.” Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announces that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned an eight count indictment today on Mohamed Abdigafar Abdullahi, age 27, for the Murder of Bobbie Renee Simpson, age 23. Abdullahi has been indicted for one count of Aggravated Murder, two counts of Murder, one count of Tampering with Evidence, one count of Arson, one count of Gross Abuse of a Corpse, and two counts of Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol, a Drug of Abuse or a Combination of Them. “There is one count of Aggravated Murder and two counts of Murder with only one victim death because there are different methods to commit the crime of murder and the Prosecutor’s Office typically charges all methods,” O’Brien stated. On October 14^th, 2018 in the early morning hours, Upper Arlington Police and Fire personnel were dispatched to Burbank Park, located at 4780 Stonehaven Drive in Upper Arlington, on the report of what was believed to be a human body on fire. They arrived at the scene, extinguished the fire, and transported the victim’s body to the Coroner’s office. “DNA evidence from the victim’s hand was taken to BCI and days later, BCI notified authorities of a CODIS hit belonging to Abdullahi,” O’Brien stated. On October 22^nd at approximately 2:00 am, Abdullahi was arrested by Upper Arlington Police for OVI in the area of Kenny Road and North Broadway. The indictment alleges in the OVI count that the Abdullahi’s blood alcohol level content was .193 at the time of his arrest and that he has three prior OVI convictions within the past three years. Arraignment for Abdullahi is set for this Friday, November 2^nd at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street in downtown Columbus.