#doublehomicide

They are everywhere. Cellular towers are mounted on mountaintops, in the middle of dairy farms, and on top of skyscrapers, water tanks, and church steeples from the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean to the coast of the Pacific, and the hardware connects data providers to their customers as they travel from one location to another. In fact, first responder agencies often utilize the cell tower technology for the “Ping” process to locate individuals reportedly missing from family and friends. That’s why it can be stated that cellular towers “follow” cell phone users, and why Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan will present cell tower data and lead a tour of four cell towers during the October trial against double murder defendant Andrew Griffin. Andrew Isaac Griffin, 33, was extradited to Belmont County in mid-March and has been lodged at the Belmont County Jail since. Griffin is accused of murdering husband and wife Thomas and Angela Strussion in their home in Belmont, Ohio, on September 21, 2021. Griffin had become business partners with the Strussions’ Salsa Joe’s Smokehouse restaurant business in October 2020, and helped operate the locations in Belmont County and in the Elm Grove area of Wheeling until a few weeks before the homicides. Thomas Strussion was 52 years old and his wife was 48 at the time of the murders, and a 14-count indictment against the Oklahoma native was returned by the February 2025 Belmont County Grand Jury. Griffin was arrested in Hawaii in mid-February, and he was extradited to East Ohio on March 17th last year. “What we have when we are discussing cell towers is we're discussing location,” said Flanagan, who was elected to become Belmont County’s next Common Pleas Court Judge. “And so, we had previously filed a motion to allow the jurors to be able to visit cell tower locations because we believe those locations are going to play an important part in our upcoming trial. The motion was approved by (Common Pleas Court) Judge Chris Berhalter, and that trial is to begin on October 19th.   Firefighters were first to respond to Trails End Drive on Sept. 21, 2021, but then detectives with the Belmont County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the murders of Thomas and Angela Strussion. “In doing so – visiting the cell towers – they get to see the locations much better than if they were just looking on essentially a map and seeing where these locations were,” he explained. “Judge Berhalter has ruled that the four locations are going to play a very important part in our trial.” The Strussions' residence was located at 67140 Trails End Drive in a private community resting just south of U.S. Route 40, and Flanagan’s tour of cell towers will take place near the neighborhood where the tragedy took place. “There will be other tower locations that we disclose during the course of the trial, but the four that are relevant to our view with the jury that Judge Berhalter has already ruled upon, those are in Belmont County,” Flanagan said. “Those towers actually are around the residence where the murders took place on that September day. “We've already had Detective (Jordan) Blumling deemed an expert in a pre-trial hearing, and that means he will be able to testify regarding the area, if you will, that a cellular device was essentially hitting off of the tower,” the prosecutor explained. “That's where we are going to be able to hone in on the location. It is obviously not a precise science and  it just gives you a general location, but it is our claim that the location is important in the prosecution of this case.” Detectives allege that defendant Andrew Griffin ignited a fire inside the Strussion home on Trails End Drive. According to the prosecutor, the data provided by cellular towers is far more detailed today than what was provided at the time when homicides took place nearly five years ago. “Cellular towers are much more specific now than they were in 2021, and in this case, we’re dealing with 2021 technology because that’s when these crimes were committed,” Flanagan said. “And there is a big difference because location services are much more specific than they were five years ago, but that’s also why we’re using information from four different cell towers. “Cell towers aren't that far apart, so usually when you drive down the road, you are hitting off of one, and then another as your travel continues. If you're running an app like Google Maps, you're going to hit off of a tower and then you go down the road a little bit further and hit off another one. And so on,” he reported. “That gives you a nice little roadmap if you're an investigator trying to figure some things out.” The Belmont County Courthouse is located along U.S. 40 in St. Clairsville. Hurry Up and Wait The request for a continuance was filed by Griffin’s defense attorney back in early January, and by the end of the same month, Judge Berhalter granted the motion and set the new date in mid-October. In other words, Flanagan and his staff, lead investigators Ryan Allar and Jordan Blumling, and the victims’ families now must wait until the fall for the proceedings to finally begin. Flanagan has estimated the trial could take as long as two weeks. “We were prepared for the trial at the time the continuance was granted. We were not prepared for the continuance,” Flanagan said. “Even before Christmas, we were in ‘tunnel vision’ mode because we were getting so close to the original date in March. We were focused on this trial and this trial only, and then the defense had asked for a continuance. It was upsetting. It was upsetting for our victim's family members. Griffin has been a resident of the Belmont County Jail since his extradition took place in mid-March 2025. “And it was upsetting for us. This is not a trial that you can just pivot and continue for a couple of weeks. We are talking about a whole host of witnesses – maybe above 50. We are talking about location differences, meaning that some of our people are scattered throughout the United States, and we’ll need to bring them back in. So, it is a mammoth project,” he detailed. “Nonetheless, we understand why the defense asked for the continuance. We understand the need, but it was frustrating for sure.” Flanagan, though, insisted his team will remain ready to prosecute. “We understand why it happened because, while we’ve had some time to build a case, the defense may need more time. That does happen,” Flangan said. “So, it would not have been very surprising to us if they filed for a continuance maybe four months before the trial. “It was a little more of a surprise when it happened just under six weeks before the original trial start date,” he said. “But we were ready then, we’re ready right now, and we’ll be ready to go in October.” Read the full article

JP Dutton, Belmont County Commissioner https://ledenews.com/one-year-later-chief-investigator-recalls-hawaiian-arrest-of-alleged-double-murderer/ https://ledenews.com/whats-jail-life-like-for-double-murder-defendant-andrew-griffin/ https://ledenews.com/the-dollars-and-the-sense-behind-the-strussion-murder-investigation/ https://ledenews.com/if-found-guilty-why-could-andrew-griffin-face-ohios-death-penalty/

Keeping the peace is expensive. That is why the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office are allotted the most each fiscal year by the county’s three commissioners, and it’s also why they established a separate six-figure budgets for the double homicide investigation and trial involving the murders of Thomas and Angela Strussion in September 2021. According to Commissioner JP Dutton, the separate expenditure for the investigation into defendant Andrew Griffin was established about four years ago, and the Commission has included the cost of court proceedings since the Oklahoma native was extradited from Hawaii a little more than a year ago. The 33-year-old defendant is scheduled to face capital murder charges in October after Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Berhalter granted a request for continuance filed in February by Griffin’s lawyers. Griffin became a business partner in the Strussion’s Salsa Joe’s Smokehouse business in October 2020, and he moved to the area shortly after. On the morning of March 14. 2025, Griffin was escorted by Sheriff James Zusack into the Belmont County Jail. (Photo by Karen Fatula from the River News Network) The husband and wife were discovered deceased in their home after a fire was reported at their Trails End Drive home in the early morning hours of Sept. 21, 2021. Chief Detective Ryan Allar and Detective-Sgt. Jordan Blumling have served as lead investigators. “Our investment in this case has been in four areas of county government to this point, and obviously, the Sheriff’s Department was one of the earliest to incur costs in terms of everything that was necessary for both the investigation and then bringing the accused back to Belmont County,” Dutton explained. “There was some cost to our Public Defender’s Office until the defendant was able to secure counsel, and there have been costs to the Prosecutor’s Office and to the Common Pleas Court, too. “From this point forward, there will be possibly substantial costs as we get into the fall,” the Commissioner said. “It really depends on which direction the trial goes in. It can turn out to be very expensive with travel, hotel expenses, and things like that, but justice is the goal.” Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack added "In God We Trust" to the sheriff's department vehicles after seeing other departments in Ohio had done the same. Protect & Serve The Belmont County Commission established a budget last year that was just over $47 million, and the most significant line item was the operation of the Sheriff’s Office and the county jail. Sheriff James Zusack and Chief Deputy Glen Moore manage more than 60 deputies, a number of civilian employees, and the lock-up that can incarcerate more than 100 males and females. That’s why the allotment is always the largest, according to Dutton. “If you poll county commissioners across Ohio, I believe you will hear the same is typical in all of Ohio’s 88 counties,” Dutton said. “Between 25 and 30 percent of our overall budget is for the Sheriff’s Department and the jail, and it’s always our largest expenditure. “And then you add the remainder of the justice department on top of that,” he explained. “We do that to make sure our citizens are safe, and that our justice department is prepared, professional, and fair.” Sheriff Zusack and Chief of Investigations Ryan Allar presented these officers with a Certificate of Commendation for the Completion of a safe, secure extradition of double murder suspect, Andrew Griffin, from Hilo, Hawaii to Belmont County Jail. The extradition team brought Mr. Griffin to Belmont County Jail to face justice without incident. Pictured are: Chief Allar, Jail Administrator Chris Baker, Detective Sgt. Jason Schwarck, Deputy Tristan Thomas, and Sheriff Zusack. Once detectives determined Griffin was their number one suspect, the investigation included a great deal of travel expenses for the detectives and other deputies who accompanied Griffin from Hawaii in March 2025. That’s why the commissioners began setting aside separate funds for the investigation in 2022, and why they’ve established a budget of $250,000 for the trial itself. “It’s been a six-figure number all along to make sure the funds were available for the investigation, and now for a fair trial,” Dutton revealed. “It is a separate budget and that was a decision that was made based on our conversation with the former sheriff, Dave Lucas, our current sheriff, James Zusack, and with our prosecutor, Kevin Flanagan. “We discussed with our people at the Common Pleas level, too, because we wanted to get a good idea what to expect,” he explained. “Obviously, there’s no way for us to determine a final number at this time, but we have done what we can to have a good idea what to expect as far as the costs are concerned.” Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan and his trial team will prosecute the double murder cases. For the People During Griffin’s most recent pre-trial hearing last week, Judge Berhalter ruled that the positions of cell phone towers can be included as evidence offered by the prosecution, and that decision delivered a meaningful message to Commissioner Dutton.   “I have been very fortunate to work with our county prosecutor, Kevin Flanagan, because he is a very dedicated and passionate individual. So, when I found out the level of detail he and his office were pursuing and evaluating in this particular case, I was impressed but not surprised,” Dutton said. “That’s the type of prosecutor he is, and I believe we can expect more of that as this case moves forward. “As a commissioner, I’m not directly with anything connected to the case, but we’ve had the conversations we have had and that was enough for us to make sure they had the funding for what I have needed to prosecute,” he continued. “This is what Mr. Flanagan and his office staff do every day, and the citizens in the county should feel fortunate.” Detectives allege that defendant Andrew Griffin ignited a fire inside the Strussion home on Trails End Drive. While Dutton is unaware of the total cost of the prosecution in the Griffin case, he acknowledges that most – if not all – residents of Belmont County are following the case daily because, the commissioner believes, they want to see justice served one way or another.   “I believe our residents need to know that Belmont County is all about conducting fair trials for everyone no matter what the charges might be, and the best way for them to learn that is to see it for themselves,” Dutton insisted. “That’s exactly what we are doing now, and that’s what the Belmont County Commission will always do. “Granted, this trial is getting more attention than most cases in our county court system, but that’s OK,” he said. “That gives everyone a chance to show that we do things the right way in this county in a very professional manner from top to bottom.” JP Dutton, Belmont County Commissioner https://ledenews.com/one-year-later-chief-investigator-recalls-hawaiian-arrest-of-alleged-double-murderer/ https://ledenews.com/whats-jail-life-like-for-double-murder-defendant-andrew-griffin/ https://ledenews.com/the-dollars-and-the-sense-behind-the-strussion-murder-investigation/ https://ledenews.com/if-found-guilty-why-could-andrew-griffin-face-ohios-death-penalty/ Read the full article

Double murder defendant Andrew Griffin will be in Belmont County Common Pleas Court this afternoon for one of his final preliminary hearings before his trial begins on March 2. Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalterr will preside over the monthly hearing at 1:30 p.m., and the main topics will be expert witnesses and jury selection. The 33-year-old Griffin is charged with the aggravated murders of Thomas and Angela Strussion on September 21, 2021, inside their home on Trails End Road in Belmont, Ohio. The Oklahoma native was arrested by detectives Chief Ryan Allar and Sgt. Jordan Blumling in Hilo, Hawaii, on February 16th, and he was extradited to Belmont County in mid-March. The first Salsa Joe's Smokehouse opened along U.S. 40 in Belmont near the site where Jamboree in the Hills took place for more than two decades. Griffin was a business partner with the Strussions and their Salsa Joe’s restaurant business, and he moved into the area in the Fall of 2020. He left, however, a couple of weeks before the Strussions were killed, and investigators believe Griffin returned, committed the murders, and then left the area again. A murder trial in Ohio requires 12 jurors who must unanimously agree on a verdict. According to Section 2945.21 of the Ohio Revised Code, potential jurors are summoned for duty and questioned in court to identify any conflicts or biases. For the Griffin trial, 500 prospective jurors were summoned, and more than 350 questionnaires were completed before Christmas, according to reports from WTOV9. Attorneys on both sides will be able to review completed questionnaires by January 31st, and the length of the trial could be more than three weeks, said Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack on Tuesday on River Talk’s “Novotney Now” program. On the morning of March 14th, Griffin was escorted by Sheriff James Zusack into the Belmont County Jail. (Photo by Karen Fatula from the River News Network) Judge Berhalter will also hear recommendations this afternoon for expert witness designations. If convicted of two counts of aggravated murder, Griffin could face Ohio's death penalty, and any potential plea agreement in the case must be reached by January 30th. https://ledenews.com/strussion-murders-library-of-links-on-tragedy-defendant-andrew-griffin/ Read the full article

The defendant in the double murder case in Belmont County is scheduled to appear this afternoon in front of Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Berhalter. The pretrial hearing will take place inside the Belmont County Courthouse in St. Clairsville. Oklahoma native Andrew Griffin is charged with 12 counts of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated arson and one count of aggravated burglary in the 2021 deaths of Thomas and Angela Strussion. The couple was discovered deceased inside their home along Trails End Road in Belmont, Ohio, after a neighbor called 911 after seeing smoke flowing from an upstairs window. The purpose of this afternoon’s 1:30 p.m. pretrial hearing is for Judge Berhalter to hear any housekeeping issues connected to the trial that is scheduled to begin March 2, 2026, according to Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan. Griffin was arrested in February and extradited from Hilo, Hawaii, on March 14, and he’s been jailed in the county jail ever since. Griffin could face the death penalty if convicted. Chief Det. Ryan Allar and Det.-Sergeant Jordan Blumling investigated the double homicide for more than three years before arresting Griffin inside a Home Depot in Hilo. The defendant was with his younger brother, Zach, at the time local law enforcement served and arrested him, and he was incarcerated in the city’s jail until his extradition was granted in mid-March. Jail Administrator Chris Baker, Detective Sgt. Jason Schwarck, and Deputy Tristan Thomas were dispatched to the Hawaiian city to escort Griffin back to Belmont County in mid-March. Read the full article

The Strussions resided in a very nice community in Belmont, Ohio. Security specifications, Baker explained, determine the areas of the jail where inmates are incarcerated. “There's a TV there. There's a kiosk machine up there. There's a phone up there. There's a shower up there,” the jail administrator reported. “He is in the area he’s in because of the charges that have been filed against him. That’s standard procedure in any jail. “The inmates interact with each other and with the staff every single day, and I make sure I ask as many as possible how they are during each day,” Baker said. “That’s a part of my job because just because someone is in a jail doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check on their well-being. My conversations are pretty straightforward with them because I want to know if they’ve got any gripes, complaints, or whatever they may need, they’ll let me know.” https://ledenews.com/trial-date-set-for-griffins-capital-murder-trial-in-belmont-county/ https://ledenews.com/if-found-guilty-why-could-andrew-griffin-face-ohios-death-penalty/ https://ledenews.com/murder-101-part-1-blumling-graduates-to-strussion-double-murder/ https://ledenews.com/the-dollars-and-the-sense-behind-the-strussion-murder-investigation/ https://ledenews.com/sheriff-zusack-there-will-be-more-surprises-in-strussion-case/ Read the full article

The Strussions resided in a very nice community in Belmont, Ohio. Security specifications, Baker explained, determine the areas of the jail where inmates are incarcerated. “There's a TV there. There's a kiosk machine up there. There's a phone up there. There's a shower up there,” the jail administrator reported. “He is in the area he’s in because of the charges that have been filed against him. That’s standard procedure in any jail. “The inmates interact with each other and with the staff every single day, and I make sure I ask as many as possible how they are during each day,” Baker said. “That’s a part of my job because just because someone is in a jail doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check on their well-being. My conversations are pretty straightforward with them because I want to know if they’ve got any gripes, complaints, or whatever they may need, they’ll let me know.” https://ledenews.com/trial-date-set-for-griffins-capital-murder-trial-in-belmont-county/ https://ledenews.com/if-found-guilty-why-could-andrew-griffin-face-ohios-death-penalty/ https://ledenews.com/murder-101-part-1-blumling-graduates-to-strussion-double-murder/ https://ledenews.com/the-dollars-and-the-sense-behind-the-strussion-murder-investigation/ https://ledenews.com/sheriff-zusack-there-will-be-more-surprises-in-strussion-case/ Read the full article