With the five-year mark looming since a shocking double homicide took place in Belmont, Ohio, one local official believes the county’s judicial system is properly prepared to deliver justice.
Thomas and Angela Strussion were murdered on September 21, 2021, in their home along Trails End Drive. A neighbor called 911 after noticing smoke coming from the second floor of the two-story home, and responding firefighters quickly discovered the husband and wife deceased.
Belmont County investigators quickly determined the deaths were not accidental and now, nearly five years later, defendant Andrew Griffin will go to trial beginning on October 19th with Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Berhalter presiding. A Belmont County Grand Jury issued 14 indictments against Griffin, a 34-year-old native of Whitesboro, Oklahoma, in February 2025.
Griffin, a former business partner of Thomas Strussion and his Sala Joe’s Smokehouse food service business, is accused of travelling back to eastern Ohio, committing the murders, killing the Strussions’ pet, setting the house on fire, and then immediately returning to his home in Oklahoma.
The defendant was arrested in Hilo, Hawaii, less than a week after the indictments were issued, and Griffin was extradited a month later to the Belmont County Jail where he has resided ever since.
Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton has been impressed with the investigators, and now is witnessing the security preparations taking place in and around the county’s courthouse in St. Clairsville.
“Sheriff (James) Zusack has been very busy with considering and arranging the security for the (Griffin) trial, and our entire judicial system has kept the communication going because everyone wants to make sure the trial runs as smoothly as possible,” the commissioner explained. “With a trial like this one, with all of the witnesses that are expected, there’s a lot of planning that the Sheriff is doing right now.
“There are logistics to consider, and the financial aspect is something we’re looking at as well so we can make sure the resources are in place,” he said. “The commissioners will continue talking to the sheriff again early next week as he continues to fine-tune what he looks at from a security standpoint. He’s being is very particular in terms of trying to make sure that everyone is safe, and we appreciate that very much.”
Chief Investigator Ryan Allar and Detective-Sergeant Jordan Blumling worked in the Strussion case for more than three before the indictments, and the expenses included travel, technology, and much more.
“And there’s going to be additional costs with a trial like this just like there were additional costs with the investigation,” Dutton explained. “There are expert witnesses and other witnesses traveling in from outside the area, and overall, a lot of aspects to consider that aren’t typical for cases that go through Common Pleas Court.
“We’ve seen murder cases for sure, but this one has attracted a lot of attention throughout this region and across the country,” Dutton said. “I know Sheriff Zusack is expecting a large crowd for the proceedings.”
Deadline to Plea
Judge Berhalter has presided in monthly pre-trial hearings since Griffin was extradited in March 2025, and the final gathering is scheduled for this Friday, September 25th.
That is also the deadline for requests for a plea agreement in the case.
“I know that deadline is still hanging out there and there’s still that opportunity,” Dutton said. “No one knows if that’s something that’s going to happen except for the defendant and his lawyers, but if not, we’re prepared financially because of all that great communication that’s taken place between everyone involved in our judicial system.
“That’s because justice is worth every penny. That’s a given,” he insisted. “Our sheriff and his detectives and our prosecutor and his team do amazing jobs, and so do our judges. At the end of the day, that’s the standard that’s been set here in Belmont County. The standard is providing a high-level of justice on a local level here in Belmont County. That’s always the goal.”
While some had their doubts if ever the murders would ever be solved, Dutton says his confidence never wavered.
“I know it took a while for the indictments, and I know it’s taken more than a year to get to where we are now with the trial just a month away. I know a lot of people were disappointed when the continuance was approved, but that’s all part of the process,” Dutton said. “But I was confident we’d get here. I really was.
“I’m only one of the commissioners so, as far as the investigation is considered, I can’t speak to it specifically. The detectives can and the prosecutor can, but I can say that the fact they have reached this point that the trial is just a month away is impressive,” he added. “The travel, the hours; I know it’s been very difficult, but it’s all about getting justice for the families and for the community.”
(Cover photo by Karen Fatula)
