Woman killed; boyfriend held
Mother of two found strangled at homeBy Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.com
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Timeline
Around noon Tuesday: According to police, Noal D. Quattlebaum strangles his girlfriend, Amber L. Wesley, at their residence at 85 Lang Farm Road. Later, Quattlebaum leaves the residence and goes to his parents' house in Waterford. Police say he informs his parents of the incident.
4:08 p.m.: Quattlebaum's parents report the killing to the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Minutes later, deputies arrive and find a dead woman in a back bedroom of the mobile home. The residence is secured and detectives take Quattlebaum into custody without incident at his parent's residence.
5:38 p.m.: Agents with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation & Identification arrive.
6:05 p.m.: Dr. Kenneth Leopold, Washington County coroner, arrives at the Lang Farm Road residence. Deputies and the coroner wait outside the residence for a search warrant to be executed.
7 p.m.: Washington County Prosecutor Jim Schneider arrives and soon after a search of the residence begins.
7:30 p.m.: Leopold and agents from Ohio BCI&I enter the home.
Sometime after 10 p.m.: Wesley's body is taken from the home to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office for an autopsy.
8 a.m. today: Quattlebaum is expected to be arraigned in Marietta Municipal Court.
WARREN TOWNSHIP - The body of a 21-year-old mother of two was found Tuesday bound, strangled and wrapped in a blanket at her Lang Farm Road residence.
Police say the victim was Amber L. Wesley, of 85 Lang Farm Road. Her live-in boyfriend, Noal Quattle-baum, 22, who has a history of domestic violence, is charged with her killing and is expected to be arraigned today in Marietta Municipal Court.
According to Washington County sheriff's Lt. Detective Brian Schuck, Quattlebaum strangled Wesley with his hands and a belt after the couple argued Tuesday morning.
Schuck said Quattlebaum admitted to killing the woman. He declined to release more details about the fight.
"It was just another domestic dispute" at first, Schuck said.
According to an affidavit filed by Schuck, Quattlebaum told police he killed the woman because she struck him in the face with a coffee mug. He later said she did that after he attempted to choke her.
"(Quattlebaum) later changed his statement and said he and (Wesley) were arguing and he choked her with his arm until she turned purple and he then let her go," the statement reads. "(Quattlebaum) stated when he let (Wesley) go she hit him in the face with a coffee mug so he took his belt and wrapped it around (her) neck from behind and strangled her to death."
Schuck said it was not the first time the couple had fought.
"There were previous (domestic violence calls from the residence), and I know we've been to their house in the past," Schuck said.
Marietta Municipal Court records indicate Quattlebaum has three prior domestic violence charges against him, the last filed in May.
Court records also indicate Quattlebaum has prior charges for aggravated burglary, disorderly conduct and receiving stolen property.
According to police the couple had been together at least three years and have an infant child. That child and Wesley's other young child were not at home at the time of the incident, Schuck said.
"They are the real casualties in all of this," Schuck said.
According to police, Wesley was likely killed sometime around noon. Later, Quattlebaum left the mobile home and went to his parents' residence at 301 Main St. in Waterford.
Sheriff Larry Mincks said Quattlebaum eventually told his parents about the killing.
"They detained him and reported the murder," Mincks said.
Immediately after the 4:08 p.m. call, deputies were dispatched to Waterford and to the couple's Lang Farm Road residence.
Schuck said he was on his way to interview Quattlebaum when officers arrived at the couple's home.
Schuck said he has a theory as to why Wesley was killed, but he said he could not release that information.
"I want to wait until after the autopsy," Schuck said. "That will provide us with a lot more information and probably confirm a lot of things for us."
Late Tuesday, Wesley's body was taken from the scene to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office for a forensic autopsy.
The family that rented the house to Quattlebaum and Wesley said they never had any problems with the couple.
"She rented from us for going on three years," said Sandra Lang, 54, of Lang Farm Road. "She always seemed like a really nice girl, very friendly."
The rental property is behind the Langs' home.
Lang's son, Nicholas, 23, said the couple had disputes every once in a while, but he didn't feel it was out of the ordinary.
"That's just being a normal couple," he said.
Nicholas Lang said he didn't know anything was going on until he saw sheriff's deputies behind his house.
Patrick Cooley contributed.
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PRbyNicole
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09-01-08 3:46 PM
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Amber was a really awesome woman, I have known her for quit sometime. Murder is murder he admitted it so there for he should get what he deserves. No one deserves do die the way she did. Thank GOD the kids weren't there to witness daddy killing mommy. It sickens me that someone would do this to someone they love and to take the mother of his kids away from them. I gonna miss you amber, We love you
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OMGWHY
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07-24-08 2:21 PM
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Amazing, someone has to take the blame huh? The system, the boyfried, the mother, the friends, and anyone who dares to post a comment on here. No-one is right in this. The way I see it from under my rock is that nobody knows the stoy only the 2 people who were there! We have no right to say anything about thier lives cause we all are far from perfect. I feel for both familys and the kids most of all. But we are not the ones to pass judgement.
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beardmore4
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07-24-08 9:16 AM
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It's sickening that this happened period,but Thank you Jesus that the kids weren't there to witness this horrible killing.Our prayers and thoughts go out to children and the other family members.
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LeeLee
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07-24-08 1:49 AM
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I knew Amber when she was a little girl. No-one deserves to die like this. Anyone who takes another Human Beings life deserves to lose their own. Don't judge her, you don't know what she had to face in her short life. She lost the most precious thing - her life. She chose to love the wrong person, she made a wrong choice - she paid dearly for that. Who the*****are you people anyway. Death is final -did you die at the hands of someone you thought loved you? Did you suffer those last breath's knowing you would never see your babies again - we all break but we don't all kill - do we?
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Johanna
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07-24-08 1:46 AM
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What is wrong with people??? She was 21!!!!!!!!! She should be playing with her kids!!! I don't care who hit who! He KILLLED her!!! She should be alive!! 21!!!! What is wrong with this way of thinking they .."Hit each other,,she hit him , he hit her.."... Who cares who hit who. He killed her and wrapped her in a blanket? He kiled her and confessed and others knew of the problems. Sad!!!! If he wasn't prone to violence, should someone else be convicted as a conspirator to the crime??
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Johanna
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07-24-08 1:28 AM
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Strange how People don't realize what is going on until something devastating happens. Suddenly they start talking. All of that talk could have saved a lot. I didn't know either of them but hearing the guys talk about dometic violence againt "him"? Why didn't he leave? Why didn't she leave? Doesn't really matter anymore, does it? Anybody learn anything? 2 children are now devastated without either parent! Maybe people talking about things should be speaking out more to someone to prevent things. Must have been worse than you thought it was!
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DayDreamer21
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07-24-08 12:36 AM
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I knew noal since he had moved to ohio. I used to hangout with him all the time he never seemed violent. He was always so nice. It's hard to believe he'd do somethiing like that it's crazy. My prays go out to Mark and felica. I didn't know the girl but Someone in my family did and much respect and my prayer go out to her family..
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Johanna
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07-23-08 11:57 PM
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I moved back here to help my Parents and raise my kids where I grew up. I am so proud of where I grew up but so embarrased by what people are doing! The drugs, the crime.....I'm starting to wonder if there isn't something in the water worse than C8. Look at the stats for Marietta for crimes of Rape, Murder, Theft, etc???in the 70's through 2006! The increase is so sad and embarassing!!!!!!!! We are supposed to be the great place to live and raise kids!!! Look how many kids and adults are going to jail and prison? Taking a life....is taking a life...eye for an eye! He should get the death penalty!
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troyinohio
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07-23-08 11:20 PM
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It is sad, but I hope the children never see these people again. Get them far far away. Maybe then they can have a normal loving life.
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hunted1
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07-23-08 10:59 PM
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My prayers are for all involved! This is a lose lose situation. I pray that the children can have healthy and enjoyable lives.
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buckeye4life
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07-23-08 10:39 PM
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the guy is a coward
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sadfriend
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07-23-08 10:24 PM
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why are you all accusing and passing judgment on amber for taking him back she ohly did at the time what she must have felt best for her children she could not have known he was gonna kill her.
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acengineer
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07-23-08 7:18 PM
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From Teaglass: Add another person to the 1 in 3 males that are currently in prison across the United States... What does that mean, I obviously misunderstood you, could you please explain your statement. And I live in KY and work in IN, I didn't assume you lived in OH, it just makes for an easy example.
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washcoresident
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07-23-08 6:57 PM
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What about these children. Where will they end up. With her mother, a woman who you all stated encouraged her daughter to return to this situation or his parents who obviously did the right thing by calling the sheriff. Let's hope and pray that someone will guide these children to a better life than they have experienced so far in their short lives. God bless the children.
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riveraux
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07-23-08 6:30 PM
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Everyone needs to pause for a tic. The reporter on this story seems to have a problem with getting it "right", even after correction. Let the system sort it out, not the one sided individuals reporting it.
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teaglass97
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07-23-08 5:25 PM
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(acengineer) how in the world did you get 297 million women if 1 in 3 men are in prison, are you assuming that there are only 3 million men in prison....maybe if you looked up the actual numbers you might seem reputable...***** your an engineer and deciphering those kinds of numbers...
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teaglass97
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07-23-08 5:19 PM
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wow you guys believe anything someone writes online...this is absolutely hillarious (acengineer)thats the whole fact of the internet alot of it is biased towards someone opinion and oh by the way (acengineer) why do you ASSUME that I live in Ohio? Just b/c I read this newspaper doesn't mean I live in southeast ohio which rightfully so would be hard to achieve a $72,000 salary due to the plight of the appalachian counties and surrounding rust belt...you do know what that is don't you? By the way, who earns that money when city council forbids all businesses that look to build in the area just so they can attract "tourists", grow up marietta, thats why the population has decreased 3000 people in 5 years...look it up..
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acengineer
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07-23-08 5:09 PM
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And who pays 20% of their paycheck to prisons? I'd be willing to bet that the genius (teaglass97) who wrote that's fed tax rate is less than 20%. In order to have a fed tax rate of 20% you have to make 72k a year. That does not include 7.65% for SSI and Medicare which don't go to prisons, and the 5% or so that Ohio charges you. I'm just saying, use your brain before you spout off.
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acengineer
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07-23-08 4:47 PM
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1 in 3 males are not currently on prison. At best there are 1 million people in prison. Even if all of those were male, then that would mean there are approximately 297 million females in this country to the 3 million males. I like those odds! especially if 1 million are in prison!
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NasCarNut
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07-23-08 4:29 PM
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I find it very disturbing that the only photo they could find to use was a mug shot how sad, I know that is not how she wanted to be rembered. but that's how she lived...sad but true...
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NasCarNut
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07-23-08 4:25 PM
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I'm amazed that every time I see someone arrested what their prior record looks like. Perhaps it's time to hold the judges in Marietta accountable for their incompetence.
Amen to that...why can't these judges give longer sentences??
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morebroke
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07-23-08 4:06 PM
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Once again, she was an adult. Shame on her mother for telling her to go back to him but she made the choice to listen to her mother. It's very sad also that she only had the advice of her mother. Where was the rest of her family or friends to try to help her? I don't care who hit who. The point is they were both adults and neither should have been hitting either one. What happens when the hitting moves to the innocent children. No one is there to protect the children when the parents abuse them. Don't tell me she had no choice but to go back to him! Men and women leave abusive situations all the time. It is unfortunate that alot of relationships end up in one or more getting killed. Some end up taking the lives of the spouse and then turning on the children and themselves. We read it everyday when the entire family is destroyed! Regardless of the sex of the individual being abused, speaking for myself, it would only take one time of abuse and I would be out the door.
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glider
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07-23-08 3:24 PM
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For all the comments on: "It was just another domestic dispute" at first, Schuck said." This is a different qoute then originally reported in the Marietta A.M. earlier in the morning. The Marietta A.M. did not have the "at first" at the end of the qoute. Which kind of gives the quote a whole different context. I just wonder what the real quote was originally or was this added later for Mr. Shuck's advantage? It was either bad editing to begin with or a quote doctored up later for one reason or another. If it hasn't been changed it can be seen on Marietta A.M.s web site....
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ConcernedFriend
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07-23-08 2:56 PM
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Hey 1968 - do you have selective reading skills - read the rest of the comments - I have first hand knowledge of the realtionship and it wasn't the first time she'd hit him - and it wasn't the first item that she had hit him with!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like your the one living under a rock.
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1968native
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07-23-08 2:50 PM
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OMGWHY - you need to go to couseling - you have issues - people don't kill people because you get hit with a mug! What rock did you crawl out from under where you think it's his right to defend that? If she would have killed him - she would be getting the same thing he's getting - don't feed us that bull_ _ _ _!!!
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