Bond denied again for man accused of smothering woman, putting body in trash bin

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who is accused of murder and other charges was denied bond again during a hearing on Tuesday.

Andrew Acton, 53, is charged with abandoning a corpse, tampering with evidence and second-degree murder. He is being held at the Boone County Jail.

Court documents from previous reporting indicate Acton is accused of smothering a 47-year-old woman to death between Oct. 1, 2025-May 10, 2026. Previous reporting shows he was in a relationship with the woman, though her identity has not been publicly revealed by officials.

Acton is also accused of putting the woman’s body in a City of Columbia roll cart and dumping it in Perche Creek.

Acton was arrested in May during a traffic stop after law enforcement found his Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck matched a similar vehicle seen entering the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area on May 11. A security camera in the area observed that the truck was carrying a City of Columbia trash bin.

A fisherman initially recovered the trash can at the Providence Road boat access.