Lorain police: Theft of $200k in cash tied to Feb. 13 double murder

This story has been updated. LORAIN — Police said Thursday that $200,000 in money reported stolen from an ATM delivery driver earlier this month is related to the double homicide of two women in a residence on F Street on Feb. 13. Tyra Parker, 24, of Euclid, has been charged with felony theft, felony filing a false police report and obstructing official business, according to Lorain police. An arraignment is scheduled in Lorain Municipal Court today. Lorain police also confirmed that Parker is a former Cleveland police officer. During the same time the theft was being investigated, Lorain police detectives were investigating the double homicide of Abril Mills, 28, and Jerhonda Edwards, 29, in a residence on the 1300 block of F Street. Both women had multiple gunshot wounds, police said, and were pronounced dead at the scene. Through what police called "additional intelligence" and did not specify, it was learned that the theft case against Parker is related to the murder investigation. Police are "actively working the homicide investigation and have developed additional persons of interest," they said Thursday. According to Lorain police, they received a call reporting the theft of $200,000 from a car on Feb. 3. Parker told police that she was an ATM delivery driver and that her job was to transport cash to ATMs throughout Lorain and the surrounding area. Parker told police she made her first delivery in Lorain on Feb. 3 and then traveled to a Family Dollar store on West 21st Street before driving to a third location. There, she learned the money from the ATM delivery was "missing," police said. "Instead of contacting the police immediately, she drove back to her prior location and asked to check the cameras at the store; however the area she parked in did not capture her delivery vehicle, which police learned later was clearly against company policy," Lorain police said. Police then learned Parker was "missing" $200,000, and her account of the day began to change under questioning by officers. Her vehicle and the lock box the cash was in had no signs of forced entry and Parker became nervous and stopped cooperating with police. Evidence was found that Parker was involved in the theft, police said, and she was arrested Thursday with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service. Lorain Police Detective Sgt. Tabitha Angello declined to say what the "additional intelligence" was that helped detectives link the two crimes, saying that's part of the open investigation. Detectives were "able to link (Parker) back to being involved in this homicide," and are continuing to develop suspects and further information. The crime scene on F Street was Mills' residence and Edwards was visiting at the time of their deaths, Angello said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Angello or Detective Kurt Graupmann at the Lorain Police Detective Bureau at (440) 204-2105. Tipsters will remain anonymous. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him @daveobrienCT on Twitter.