Man charged in trailer park murder near Sedalia

A man is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action after a woman’s body parts were recently discovered in a trailer park south of Sedalia.

Joseph Arbeiter confessed to law enforcement that he stabbed Mandy Black several times in the chest in January, but did not dismember her body until several weeks ago.

Before that, the Pettis County sheriff said her body was in a metal container outside of his trailer.

He allegedly told detectives he dismembered her body to try and hide the crime.

Court documents show that Arbeiter knew Mandy Black, but only by her first name.

The Pettis County prosecutor said the death penalty could be an option in this case, but that will not be decided for several more weeks.

As of Tuesday a motive is still not known.

The developments were discussed during a news conference held at the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday morning.

On Friday officials said the body parts belong to 35-year-old Mandy M. Black from Marshall. They made the identification based on tattoos.

Investigators also believe she died in January because of the decomposition of her body and by what her friends have told authorities.

“Even though she was not reported missing we have talked to people so we have put a timeline together as to when contact was lost,” said Bond.

Sheriff Bond told ABC 17 News he does not believe Mandy Black visited the trailer park where Arbeiter lived often.

Black had spent time in the Pettis County jail on drug charges. She was also in and out of the Department of Corrections from 2005 until 2011.

At the time of her death she was wanted by the DOC for violation probation and parole.

A preliminary autopsy was completed on Black’s remains around 3 p.m. on May 7, but a forensic anthropologist further examined the remains that night.

Arbeiter was already in the Pettis County Jail, accused of attacking and raping a different woman earlier this month.

Stay with ABC 17 News for the latest on this developing story.