Columbia man arrested in connection with deadly house fire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia Police arrested a suspect in a deadly house fire Friday.
Steven Martin Strumpf, 31, is in custody in the Boone County Jail after a deadly house fire in the 3900 block of Deerfoot Way. Strumpf is facing murder, arson and weapons charges, according to Columbia Police Department.
Courtesy: Boone County Jail
The Columbia Fire Department initially thought no one was inside the home on Deerfoot Way in southwest Columbia a little after midnight Friday, according to the Columbia Fire Department.
Firefighters said the body was found found under debris as they were combing through the house looking for other spots that could flare up. The victim's identity and cause of death are unknown right now.
Columbia Police said the fire department's arson dog located accelerants near the body. Because of this and further investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division, the fire's cause was determined to be suspicious, according to police.
