Andrew Griffin Found Guilty Of Murdering Strussions
Trending
A Belmont County jury found Andrew Isaac Griffin guilty of the murders of Thomas and Angela Strussion on Wednesday in Belmont County Common Pleas Court.
Griffin was found guilty on all five counts - two counts of murder with a firearms specification, two counts of murder with trespassing and a firearms specification and one count of arson. Griffin stood accused of shooting Thomas Strussion, Griffin's former business partner in the Salsa Joe's Cafe in the Elm Grove neighborhood of Wheeling, and his wife, Angela Strussion. He was also accused of then setting fire to multiple parts of the Strussions' home.
The prosecution used cellphone data to place Griffin in Belmont County on the night of the murders, as well as testimony from several witnesses who said Griffin admitted to killing two people. Among the witnesses was former best friend Brett Cole, who said he helped Griffin plan Thomas Strussion's murder.
Griffin's attorney Samuel Shamansky attacked the credibility of the witnesses and painted Strussion as a man who hung out with "unsavory" people.
Griffin will be sentenced at a later date. The death penalty is not on the table in this case. It was removed as an option at the start of the trial to ensure no delays.