HONESDALE, Pa. -- Police in Wayne County arrested a man they say shot and killed a woman at her Lakewood home back in December.
Police say Cole Dufton, 25, of Pleasant Mount, murdered Suzette Bullis, 51, who was found shot and killed at her home in the Lakewood area of Preston Township in December.
Dufton did not have much to say at his preliminary arraignment at the Wayne County Courthouse on a charge of criminal homicide.
Authorities say Dufton shot Bullis in the back of the head at her home on December 18.
State police say the victim would sell Dufton painkillers.
"Five weeks ago, they started this investigation, and initially, it came in as a whodunit homicide as we refer to it, and just through some very impressive police work by members to my right at the Honesdale crime unit and other members of the station, they were able to quickly develop the suspect," said Capt. Sherman Shadle, Pennsylvania State Police.
According to court papers, about a week or two before the shooting, Dufton showed up to the victim's home yelling about how he had been shorted $1,500. That's when Bullis told him she had money in on the deal, too.
The Wayne County district attorney says the gun used to kill Bullis was found in Dufton's bedroom. It was the same gun he had brought to the victim's house once before.
"Prior to the murder, Mr. Dufton had come to Miss Bullis' residence and had a handgun with him and slammed it on an ottoman. He said that he was going to kill a gentleman who had ripped him off for $1,500 and Miss Bullis stated she was also involved in this transaction," said Wayne County District Attorney Patrick Robinson.
Dufton is locked up in Wayne County. The judge did not set bail.