The trial for the defendant accused of murdering Angela and Thomas Strussion in September 2021 is scheduled to begin on March 2, 2026, but later today during a pre-trial hearing, Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Berhalter wishes to discuss all timeframes involved with the case.
According to Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan, the monthly pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., and 33-year-old defendant Andrew Griffin is expected to attend the proceedings. Griffin has been incarcerated in the Belmont County Jail since he was extradited from Hawaii in mid-March.
“For the most part, I expect it to be a normal monthly pretrial hearing, but we’ll also discuss projected timeframes (for those testifying),” he said. “That’s kept me busy most of the week.”
Griffin, a native of Oklahoma and former business partners with the Strussions’ Salsa Joe’s Smokehouse business, moved to the East Ohio region in late 2020 after investing in the eatery’s Elm Grove location. Griffin, however, departed the area a couple of weeks before the couple was murdered in their home and discovered deceased by first responders during the early morning hours of September 21st, 2021.
But in mid-February – after three-and-a-half years of investigation – detectives Ryan Allar and Jordan Blumling traveled to Hilo, Hawaii, and apprehended Griffin while he was inside a Home Depot shopping with his younger brother, Zach. Jail Administrator Chris Baker, Detective Sgt. Jason Schwarck, and Deputy Tristan Thomas were then dispatched to the Hawaiian city to escort Griffin back to Belmont County in mid-March.
The first Salsa Joe’s location opened along U.S. 40 in Belmont during the summer of 2020, and the eatery was immediately popular despite the social gathering restrictions in place during the coronavirus pandemic.
The restaurant’s menu featured a number of “Tex-Mex” style items, including burritos, tacos, smoked meats, burgers, and salads, and both establishments were equipped with full-service bars.
