An Ames man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder early Thursday morning after a man was found dead at his home in University Mobile Home Park.

Patrick Lee Curnes, 43, was questioned after the body of Samuel John Kingery, 42, was found at about 6 p.m. Wednesday inside Curnes’ mobile home at 3507 Lincoln Way #26, said Sgt. Randy Kessel of the Ames Police Department.

Curnes and another male, whose name was not released, were taken to the police station for questioning Wednesday at about 6:45 p.m. Curnes was arrested and transported to the Story County Jail at 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

Curnes is being held on $900,000 bond at the Story County Jail, said Steven Holmes, Story County Attorney.

Thursday morning, the Polk County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the body of Kingery, whose last-known address was 516 North Dakota Ave. Kessel said the autopsy results, which will determine Kingery’s cause of death, will be released today.

Kessel said the investigation showed the two men may have known each other.

“Getting from the investigation, they were acquaintances, but we don’t know how far back their relationship goes or how long they have known one another,” he said.

The other man questioned by police was released. No charges have been filed against him, and he is not considered a suspect in the murder at this time, although Kessel said police reserve the right to question him again.

“This is still an active investigation,” Kessel said. “If we have any further questions, we’ll ask him.”

Police were alerted to the scene Wednesday evening by two 911 telephone calls, one from a nearby residence and the other from a passer-by who called from Toyota of Ames, 3605 Lincoln Way.

“I haven’t listened to the 911 tapes, but there certainly was cause to send officers to the scene,” Kessel said about the telephone call reporting an assault in progress. “Anyone who calls in, we act upon it as an actual call.”

Kessel said the crime scene still is closed to the public, and the investigation is continuing with the help of the Iowa Division of Investigation, the Iowa State Department of Public Safety and the Story County’s Attorney office.