An arrest has been made in the murder of a Greenwood man.

On the morning of Friday, Dec. 2, the body of 50-year-old Andrew Perry was discovered in his home by his mother. Police say that the garage door of the home, in the 2900 block of Cadogan Road, was open, as was the entry way door into the home from the garage. Perry died from blunt-force trauma to the head.

Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox says that investigators determined that the crime scene was likely staged. he says that the kitchen drawers were emptied onto the floor and a baggie with what appeared to be narcotics was on the floor near Perry’s body. Perry’s teenage son did not spend the night in the home and his live-in girlfriend had left for work hours earlier.

Sheriff Cox says that Perry had made two prior police reports for harassment where Joseph (Evan) Avart was thought to be the suspect. Avart was reportedly a former boyfriend of the live-in girlfriend. Cox says that investigators were able to find Avart at his home in Plainfield. He came to the Sheriff’s Office voluntarily for an interview.

Sheriff Cox says that his department learned from Avart was “infatuated with his former girlfriend.” Cox says that Avart had been stalking Perry by following him in his vehicle, staking out his home and peering in his windows. In addition, authorities say that Avart made harassing phone calls.

Cox says that, during Avart’s initial interview, he denied being at or near near the victim’s home on the morning of the murder. The sheriff says that there were contradictions between Avart’s initial statement and the facts gathered by investigators.

Sheriff Cox says that Avart took part in another interview on Friday, Dec. 16. It was during this time that Avart admitted entering Perry’s home without permission while armed with a handgun, says Cox. The sheriff says that Avart then confessed to killing Perry.