Phoenix man receives 31-year prison term for murder and dismemberment in 2022

According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, a Phoenix man has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for the murder and dismemberment of a fellow Phoenix resident in 2022.

In September 2022, John Anthony Cole, aged 48, abducted Antoine Smith, a 28-year-old, from his apartment located near Grand and 39th avenues.

Responding to a missing person’s call, officers took action when they received reports that Smith had sent text messages to friends, claiming that he was kidnapped by Cole in order to recover a debt. Tracking Smith’s phone, the officers were able to locate him from Phoenix to Tucson.

During the welfare check at Cole’s residence, Tucson police uncovered various suspicious items, including cleaning supplies and a shovel stained with blood, as reported by MCSO.

Police located Cole’s phone and apprehended him close to the border between Arizona and California. Law enforcement officers discovered the body of Smith in the trunk of the vehicle.

Cole admitted his guilt to the charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and abandonment or concealment of a dead body.

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