State police arrested a Beaver Falls man in the death of a woman whose body was found Wednesday in Beaver County.

Police charged John Westley Johnson Jr., 68, with criminal homicide in the death of Sharon Benyo, 46, of Beaver Falls.

Benyo’s body was discovered Wednesday morning in an open field in the 2400 block of Constitution Boulevard, also known as Route 51, in Chippewa Township, police said.

The body was found by utility workers, and the Beaver County Coroner’s Office attributed the death to gunshot wounds to the head, news partner WPXI-TV reported.

WPXI reported Benyo was the ex-wife of Beaver County defense attorney Gerald Benyo. She was released from state prison about three weeks earlier and was on track to get her life in order, Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier said during a news conference.

State police said Saturday they secured enough evidence to charge Johnson with homicide, found him at his residence and took him into custody without incident.

According to court documents, Johnson also is charged with prohibited possession of a firearm in the case.

He was lodged in the Beaver County Jail pending court proceedings

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