Andrew Acton, 53, faces charges of second-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the death of a woman whose body was found in a trash bin floating in a Boone County creek.
Police say Acton strangled and smothered the woman sometime between October 1, 2025, and May 10, 2026. He then placed her body inside a City of Columbia trash bin, sealed it and dumped the container into Perche Creek near the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area on May 11, 2026. A boater discovered the bin on May 17, 2026, after noticing a smell of decomposition. Surveillance footage showed a red Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck carrying a similar bin near the area. Acton, who was later found driving the truck, told investigators he could not remember details of the day but did not deny disposing of the bin. Acton remains held without bond in the Boone County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 9.