Contractors begin working on Deerfoot Way house involved in murder case

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Contractors have started working on a burnt-out house on Deerfoot Way in southwest Columbia that has been standing for around two months after a man was found dead inside.

Steven Strumpf, 31, is being held in the Boone County Jail after he was charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, second-degree arson and credit card fraud in the Jan. 19 death of David Strumpf on Deerfoot Way in southwest Columbia.

Neighbors have been hoping the property would be cleaned up. An inspector from the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department visited the property on Tuesday and a contractor began working on the structure, Neighborhood Services manager Leigh Kottwitz wrote in an email.

Housing and Neighborhood Services sent a letter to the bank and other parties involved regarding the property a nuisance letter that outlined the home's safety violations.

Homeowners Association President Nate Simmons said Thursday that they received notification sometime last week that the property management company would soon begin the long-awaited cleanup.

"The residents were starting to get a little concerned that this was going to drag out," Simmons said. "So we're really glad to see that they're moving forward and that the cleanup has already started..."

Lynsie Steinly said she is thrilled that 3909 Deerfoot Way is finally being cleaned because she believed it made the neighborhood unsafe.

"We are absolutely thrilled," Steinly said. "We were so excited because back when it had a bunch of debris in the driveway, we were worried about people coming in in the middle of the night and it kind of made the neighborhood a little more unsafe. So with this being cleaned up, it not only looks better, we feel like it's a lot more safe."

Court documents show the fate of the property is being decided through probate court. David Strumpf did not have a will and the court originally named Adam Strumpf of Olathe, Kansas, as the heir to the property, but he renounced those rights.

Susan Burkhart of Clarksburg, Missouri is now the personal representative of the estate and is being represented by James Morris of Jones, Powell and Stevens. 

Simmons said that the representative from the property management company did not indicate what kind of plans they had for the property.