BELTON, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri soldier whose wife was found dead in a Kansas City-area motel has been charged with killing a man whom he suspected had been having an affair with his spouse.
Justin S. Cannon, 21, of Peculiar, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Michael Griggs, whose body was found at Truman Lake in western Missouri on Monday, The Kansas City Star reported (http://bit.ly/qPyWjh ) Wednesday. Police said Griggs died from a serious head wound.
Cannon, whose military status was not available, had recently returned to the area to attend the funeral for his wife, Amber Cannon, 16. Amber Cannon, who would have been a junior at Belton High School, was found dead July 27 at a motel in Grandview. Police have not said how she died.
Online court records do not indicate if Cannon has an attorney, and a phone number listed under his name appeared to have been disconnected. He was being held in the St. Clair County Jail in Osceola.
Court documents said Griggs was reported missing late Sunday after he went to Truman Lake with several friends. It was unclear if Justin Cannon had also gone with the group or joined them later Saturday night.
Other campers said Griggs and Cannon had a verbal altercation during the night about Griggs' relationship with Amber Cannon.
St. Clair County police said that during questioning about the missing man, Cannon told investigators he saw Griggs, of Raymore, headed to the restroom about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, but did not see him return.
The court document said that after Griggs' body was found Sunday, detectives questioned Cannon again. He then admitted to sneaking up on Griggs and throwing a rock that hit Griggs in the back of the head and that he carried the body into the lake to hide it, the documents said.
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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com