Police arrest man in connection with body found in the Schuylkill in February

A man is facing murder charges in connection with the discovery of a body in the Schuylkill in East Falls in February, police said.

Authorities removed the body of Joshua Daywalt, 35, from an area of the river near Kelly Drive and Midvale Avenue just after 10 a.m. on February 7. Daywalt, of Phoenixville, had initially been spotted by a passerby, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The following day, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy, and found that Daywalt had been killed by a single gunshot wound to the head behind his right ear. An examiner also discovered a potential graze wound on the lower back of his head.

His death was ruled a homicide, and he was later identified by a fingerprint analysis, police said.

On Tuesday, police arrested Roger Rosson, 61, in connection with Daywalt’s murder. Rosson is believed to have been unhoused at the time of his arrest, authorities said. He was in the process of being charged with Daywalt’s murder late Tuesday.

Police did not respond to request for comment on the circumstances surrounding Rosson’s arrest.

In the weeks after authorities identified Daywalt as the victim, authorities offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his killer. It was not immediately clear what information led to Rosson’s arrest in the case.

In an obituary for Daywalt, the man’s family described him as having struggled with mental illness, including schizophrenia. Daywalt’s mother, Jennifer Daywalt, wrote in the obituary that his struggles with mental health were “relentless, isolating, and devastating.”

Daywalt was buried in Phoenixville more than a week after his body was discovered, his obituary indicated. Details on Rosson’s legal proceedings in connection with the killing were not immediately available.