KEOKUK COUNTY, Iowa — Authorities in Iowa discovered human remains while searching for a missing person in Keokuk County on Thursday, Feb. 1.
According to an Iowa Department of Public Safety news release, investigators were executing a search warrant on Highway 78 near Ollie to find 40-year-old Craig Smith. Smith was reported missing on Jan. 20.
During the search, authorities found the human remains of an adult. The state of the remains has thus far prevented authorities from forensically identifying the adult. According to authorities, evidence and statements made during the investigation have led investigators to tentatively identify the remains as those of Smith.
44-year-old Jeffrey Gautreaux has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.
According to a court affidavit, Smith's roommate claimed that they had not seen him in over a week before reporting him missing on Jan. 20.
Smith's sister told Ottumwa police that on Sunday, Jan. 7, she heard Smith tell a friend during a phone call that he would be dropping off a 2012 Chevy Traverse vehicle to Gautreaux. That friend told Ottumwa police that Smith informed her he was traveling to Gautreaux's residence around 12:07 p.m.
The affidavit says that cellphone data shows Smith's phone being used for several hours at Gautreaux's residence, until 6:24 p.m. that same night. The phone was powered on again on Jan. 17 and showed that it was still at Gautreaux's residence.
In an interview with an Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation agent, Gautreaux said that he, Smith and Gautreaux's stepfather, whom Gautreaux shared the residence with, were at the residence when Gautreaux shot Smith in the face. Gautreaux then tried burning Smith's remains. Gautreaux also admitted to powering Smith's phone on Jan. 17 and later destroying it.
Gautreaux's stepfather told officials that he was in his bedroom when he heard a gunshot. He said he then went into the living room and saw Gautreaux in the living room and Smith was dead.
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