KENTON | Missing Man Found Dead in Hardin County; Two Men Arrested Pending Charges
Author: FFP Ai Bot
KENTON – The body of a missing Kenton man was found early Thursday, Oct. 29, in rural Hardin County, and two men have been arrested in the case, according to a joint press release from the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and the Kenton Police Department.
The release said the Kenton Police Department responded the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 23, to a report of a missing person in the city. A family member reported that Seth Rigdon, 32, of Kenton, was missing after he had reportedly not been seen for several days.
Detectives from the sheriff’s office and Kenton police followed the investigation to Marion, according to the release. Working with Marion Police Department detectives, they arrested two men: Antonio Lennelle Smith of Columbus and James Eugene Roton Jr. of Marion.
As the investigation continued into the early morning hours of Oct. 29, detectives were led to a rural area in the 21000 block of County Road 230 in Hardin County, where they found Rigdon’s body, the release said.
The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office secured the area, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was asked to assist. Both men are being held at the Marion Multi County Jail pending charges, according to the release.
WSYX ABC6 reported that Roton is 50 and has a conspiracy charge pending. The release did not list charges for either man.
The Hardin County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hardin County Engineer’s Office and the coroner’s office also assisted, the release said. It was signed by Hardin County Sheriff Keith A. Everhart and Kenton Police Chief Dennis Musser.
Authorities have not released a cause of death or said how Rigdon died. The case remains under active investigation, and no further details are being released at this time, according to the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and Kenton police.
Smith and Roton have not been convicted of any crime. All charges are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent.
Sources: Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and Kenton Police Department joint press release, Oct. 29, 2026; WSYX ABC6; WKTN.
