“If you wanna get away with murder, do it Belmont County.”
If a resident of Belmont County has not heard those words uttered by others, the individual likely has not lived in East Ohio for very long. It’s a well-known phrase, and it has been repeated more often during the past month since Tom and Angela Strussion were found murdered inside their Trail End Road home.
“I have heard that my entire life,” said Neffs resident Scott Porter. “My wife says that to me all of the time, too, and that’s because we do have so many unsolved murder cases in Belmont County. That dates back to the 1970s, as far as I can recall, and I realize law enforcement didn’t have the resources like what they have access to these days. But now, with this double homicide, I’m hearing it more and more.
“I don’t think they say it because of local law enforcement. I think it’s because these things don’t happen often at all.”
The husband and wife were discovered deceased after a neighbor reported to Belmont County 911 smoke coming from the Strussion home. Once the fire was extinguished by first responders, the victims were located. The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office has offered only limited details since the agency classified the crime scene as a double homicide.
Sheriff Dave Lucas has refused to release the causes of the couples’ deaths, whether or not weapons were used, or if any recovered video footage revealed any clues.
“It’s well known in law enforcement that you never comment on an ongoing investigation,” insisted Bellaire Police Chief Dick Flanagan. “That’s Rule No. 1 because there are things in those cases that no one needs to know about. All the rumors, accusations, and innuendo in this double homicide have complicated the case because those investigators have to take the time to track down those stories, too.
“Plus, Belmont County is the fifth-largest county in the state of Ohio, but our population is down to around 55,000 if we’re lucky,” he explained. “That means there’s a lot of space out there to cover and that’s not easy when you are searching for clues in a case like that one.”
Unsolved and Cold
Thomas Dillon, who died in October 2011 at the age of 61, was found guilty of five murder charges and received five consecutive life sentences. Dillon would not have been eligible for parole for 165 years after killing hunters, fishermen, and joggers for evil pleasure.
The case was cracked after one of Dillon’s friends contacted police. That is when the puzzle pieces came together, and multiple murders were solved in Belmont County.
That, though, has not always been the case.
Joe George, 1977. Blanch Orum, 1978. Charles and Kathryn Murray, 1986. J.C. McGee, 2022. Justin Hughes, 1994.
Those are just a few of the names listed as Belmont County victims of unsolved cases on the OV Cold Cases website, but the Hughes case is one that still bothers Chief Flanagan.
“I personally believe the Justin Hughes cases could be solved very easily,” he insisted. “You have to take a look at who all the players are, but I am not sure why that case hasn’t been solved. I know I have offered some information on that case, but I don’t believe it was ever followed up on.
“Why? I don’t know,” he said. “But I would love to know, I can tell you that.”
It’s CSI-TV, Right?
Miami. Vegas. New Orleans. New York.
A total of 46 minutes of broadcast time and case solved. Every time. Justice served.
“I hope most people realize that these kinds of cases do not go like they do on TV where every murder is solved in less than an hour,” Porter said. “Some of the cases in Belmont County are from 50 years ago, and that’s a shame because that means those murderers have been running around.
“Now that’s not to say law enforcement here in Belmont County do not do their jobs because those men and women do, but they only have what they have to work with, and all they can do is go from there,” he said. “And it does take time, but when the public doesn’t hear anything, you start hearing that old saying again. ‘If you want to get away with murder, do it in Belmont County.’ I’ve heard that a lot over the last few weeks because of the double homicide near Morristown.”
The Strussions owned and operated two Salsa Joe’s restaurants in Wheeling and Belmont, Ohio. The couple participated and many charity events, and
That is why a plethora of people are asking why? And how? And who? Only to have all the questions be met with justified silence.
“But will those murders turn into a couple more unsolved cases? I think that’s in the back of everyone’s mind,” Porter admitted. “I knew Tom Strussion pretty well so I, of course, want those cases solved for the families. Hopefully there were cameras that caught something the sheriff’s department can use.
“It’s understandable that the public hasn’t been informed much because of the investigation or because they don’t have much to work with,” he said. “I’m sure if they do have evidence that will lead them to the people who did this, we’ll hear about it plenty when that time arrives.”
A Murderer’s Mind
The bad news: there are more than 250,000 unsolved murders with an expected addition of another 6,000 this year, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for 2020.
The good news: Since 2018, law enforcement agencies have solved 28 cold cases utilizing the DNA technology that wasn’t available 30 years ago. One of those solved homicides took place in Ohio, and another happened in West Virginia.
The other news: The public doesn’t know much because the media have not been offered updates. Two people were killed on September 21. Extortion attempts? Sure, but the who-how-why inquiries have remained unanswered.
“I have always found every murder case very intriguing because it’s just not normal for one human being to kill another human being without some kind of a reason,” Flanagan explained. “As a member of law enforcement, you have to figure out the who, what, how, when, and why, and that’s not always an easy task. That’s obviously the case now with that double homicide.
“I remember one murder case I worked involved one person killing another person just to kill him,” he said. “That’s someone who is sick in the head with some sort of mental health issue. But this case? This one seems different.”
