Fire chief was under investigation before his death

Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly confirmed last week that his department had been conducting a criminal investigation focused on Nelsonville Fire Chief Tim Carr, prior to Carr's death from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound Nov. 6.

However, Kelly said, the investigation is now in the hands of the Athens County Prosecutor's office. No one in that office could be reached for comment Friday.

"We've shifted everything back to the prosecutor's office, because that is their investigation," Kelly said.

He did confirm that his officers had executed a search warrant on Carr's property, and that the criminal investigation had to do with suspected theft from the funds of the Trimble Township Waste Water Treatment Board.

Carr, 53, had served as president of that board before his death.

On Nov. 6, firefighters with the Nelsonville Fire Department found Carr in a room of the fire station with a gunshot wound to the head.

He was transported to a Columbus hospital, but died from his injury. Kelly has stated that he believes the wound was definitely self-inflicted.