SPENCER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 51-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the Kent County murder of his girlfriend.
Danielle Scholton-Linderman, 29, of Sheridan, was found dead in a Spencer Township home at approximately 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. According to deputies, she was killed during a struggle with Scott Hammer, who fled the scene.
Montcalm County deputies located Hammer at the couple’s Wise Road residence in Sheridan, which they say he set on fire. He is currently in custody at the Kent County Correctional Facility and will be charged with Scholton-Linderman’s murder. The arson remains under investigation.
Prior to this incident, Hammer had no violent criminal history. He was found guilty of operating while intoxicated in Grand Rapids in October 2008, and had misdemeanor traffic violation in 2007.