MENTOR-ON-THE-LAKE, Ohio – The woman’s body that was found at a former Mentor police officer’s home has been identified.
Lake County Coroner Dr. Lynn Smith said the woman is 53-year-old Diane Stroud. Her husband and retired Mentor officer, Gary Stroud, has been charged with murder and appeared in Mentor Municipal Court on Tuesday.
Over the weekend, Mentor-on-the-Lake police found her remains in the garage of her house in the 5600 block of Marine Parkway, according to the police department. The coroner determined that Diane Stroud died from blunt force trauma.
Gary Stroud, 57, didn’t enter a plea on the murder charge, or the tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse changes. He pleaded not guilty to failing to report a death. His bond was set at $1 million.
Diane Stroud served the city of Mentor-on-the-Lake as the council president. Gary Stroud retired from the Mentor Police Department six or seven years ago, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s office.
