The defendant in the double murder case in Belmont County is scheduled to appear this afternoon in front of Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Berhalter.
Oklahoma native Andrew Griffin is charged with 12 counts of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated arson and one count of aggravated burglary in the 2021 deaths of Thomas and Angela Strussion. The couple was discovered deceased inside their home along Trails End Road in Belmont, Ohio, after a neighbor called 911 after seeing smoke flowing from an upstairs window.
The purpose of this afternoon’s 1:30 p.m. pretrial hearing is for Judge Berhalter to hear any housekeeping issues connected to the trial that is scheduled to begin March 2, 2026, according to Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan. Griffin was arrested in February and extradited from Hilo, Hawaii, on March 14, and he’s been jailed in the county jail ever since.
Griffin could face the death penalty if convicted.
Chief Det. Ryan Allar and Det.-Sergeant Jordan Blumling investigated the double homicide for more than three years before arresting Griffin inside a Home Depot in Hilo. The defendant was with his younger brother, Zach, at the time local law enforcement served and arrested him, and he was incarcerated in the city’s jail until his extradition was granted in mid-March.
Jail Administrator Chris Baker, Detective Sgt. Jason Schwarck, and Deputy Tristan Thomas were dispatched to the Hawaiian city to escort Griffin back to Belmont County in mid-March.
The pretrial hearing will take place inside the Belmont County Courthouse in St. Clairsville.
Griffin and the Strussions were business partners in the Salsa Joe’s Smokehouse location in Elm Grove, and Griffin moved to the area in the Fall of 2020. 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 item, including burritos, tacos, smoked meats, burgers, and salads, and both establishments were equipped with full-service bars.
