Jacob Middlebrook, 35, and his girlfriend Layne McIntosh, 36, were taken into custody by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police after investigators found the victim's missing car parked at a casino in Laughlin, Nevada, just across the Colorado River from Bullhead City. Jail records show both are awaiting extradition to Mohave County, Arizona, on suspicion of second-degree homicide.

The Bullhead City Police Department identified the victim as Arron Christopher Warren, 29, a transient who was a registered Level 2 sex offender. A driver discovered Warren's body on the side of a road on Nov. 7, and detectives determined he had been stabbed multiple times.

In a statement posted to social media, Bullhead City police said the couple had known Warren for several months and had expressed hostility toward registered sex offenders. Detectives allege the two planned the killing in advance, scouted a desert location to leave the body, and even measured furniture or beds that could be large enough to conceal the victim along the roadside.

The case has drawn attention to how law enforcement shares information about sex offenders who move into a community. Bullhead City Police Chief Paul George issued a statement emphasizing that public notifications are meant to inform residents, not to incite violence.

"When a Level 2 or Level 3 sex offender moves into our area or, more commonly, changes addresses, the Bullhead City Police Department shares that information as a public service to help keep residents informed," George said. "Our goal is to provide information, not create fear or alarm. We believe an informed community is a safer community."

George added: "However, we want to be clear that we will not tolerate anyone using this information as a reason to threaten, intimidate, harass or harm another person."

The department's Bureau of Criminal Investigations conducts monthly address verification checks to ensure registered offenders are complying with registration requirements, George said.

Warren's death is the latest flashpoint in a long-running debate over public sex offender registries, which supporters say enhance safety and critics warn can stigmatize people long after their sentences end. The case also underscores the risks of vigilante action when registry information is used as a justification for violence.

Middlebrook and McIntosh remained in custody Thursday morning. No court dates in Arizona have been scheduled, and it was not immediately clear whether they had attorneys.