A Columbia man charged with stabbing his father to death in January before setting his body on fire is scheduled to appear in court this afternoon.
Boone County prosecutors have charged 31-year-old Steven Martin Strumpf with first degree murder, second degree arson, armed criminal action and a misdemeanor charge of fraudulent use of a credit device. While Columbia Police have never released the victim’s name, Boone County prosecutor Roger Johnson’s request to the court for no bond alleges that Strumpf “murdered his father and attempted to cover up the crime.” Prosecutor Johnson has described the suspect as a flight risk.
The Columbia Police Department’s heavily-redacted three-page probable cause statement says Strumpf allegedly admits stabbing the victim several times in the neck, before pouring gas on the body and setting it on fire in the garage. Strumpf is scheduled to appear in court today at 1 before Boone County Judge Tracy Gonzalez.
939 the Eagle’s Jeff Ausmus reports a new roof and many other improvements have been made at the home, since the murder. Some residents had complained that the burned-out building had been an eyesore near Vawter School and Creekfront Way, a highly-visible area in south Columbia.
