PDT Staff Report

A two-day manhunt for a shooting suspect ended Saturday, according to Scioto County Sheriff Marty Donini.

Ray Scott Heid was sought by sheriff's detectives and deputies after being described as a “person of interest” in the Thursday shooting death of Kevin Swords, 37, of 2100 D Stoney Run Road, West Portsmouth.

Heid, 25, whose last known addresses were in Waverly and Bainbridge, turned himself in Saturday at 2:34 a.m., according to a sheriff's spokesman.

Sheriff's officials located a vehicle belonging to Swords on Ohio 125 Thursday, after Heid reportedly abandoned it after it ran out of fuel. Donini said Heid retreated into the woods for two days and became sick, hungry and cold.

Sheriff's deputies say Heid left the woods and went to an acquaintance's house in the Stoney Run Road area. There, he reportedly had the acquaintance call the sheriff's office to turn himself in to authorities. A patrol unit was dispatched and Heid was taken into custody without incident.

Donini said 911 Dispatch had received a call to 2100 Stoney Run Road Thursday, where a male subject had been shot.

Deputies and detectives, as well as emergency medical personnel, were dispatched to the scene.

Captain David Hall of the Scioto County Sheriff's Office said the squad transported Swords to a helicopter landing zone that had been set up.

“He died en route to the hospital,” he said. Scioto County Coroner Dr. Terry Johnson pronounced Swords dead at the landing site.

“The two, Heid and Swords, have known each other for some time. What we have here is an old boyfriend, new boyfriend situation,” Hall said. “Swords was the new boyfriend, and Heid was the old boyfriend.”

Heid is being held in Scioto County Jail without bond on a probation violation warrant. Charges in the shooting are pending the investigation.

Sheriff Donini asks that anyone with information in this case to contact Detective Denver Triggs at (740) 353-8245. All calls are kept confidential.

FRANK LEWIS contributed to this story.