Autopsy determines bullet to head killed Poplar Bluff murder victim

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — An autopsy Monday at a Farmington, Mo., hospital determined a Poplar Bluff man died of a gunshot wound to the head.

Dr. Michael Zaricor, a pathologist at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center, performed the autopsy on John Lee Griffin, 54.

Griffin's body was found Saturday afternoon in an outhouse behind an unoccupied residence in the 400 block of County Road 614. Authorities believe Griffin had been dead since July 3.

Calvin L. "CC" Smith Jr., 32, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Griffin's death over what authorities describe as a drug debt.

During the autopsy, Zaricor determined Griffin died "of a single gunshot wound" to the head, said Butler County chief deputy coroner James Akers, who attended the autopsy.

The bullet, Akers said, was removed.

"It was still intact," Akers said. "It's in pretty good shape. We're hopeful it's still in good enough shape to get a ballistic match."

The bullet, according to Akers, is "consistent with the information we have regarding the murder weapon."

Akers said the Coroner's Office continues to "work closely with other law enforcement agencies on this investigation."

Authorities learned of Griffin's possible death on Thursday when a concerned resident reported overhearing an earlier conversation in the 900 block of Garfield.

"The conversation was that a person named Calvin Smith, aka 'CC', had murdered John Griffin, aka 'Griff,' over some sort of a dope deal," Poplar Bluff Police Chief Danny Whiteley said earlier.

When officers contacted Griffin's "known associates," Whiteley said, it was learned Griffin had not been seen since July 3.

Whiteley said another individual provided officers with a similar account, indicating Smith had allegedly killed Griffin "in the country, which is an area known by older folks around here as in the Morocco/Broseley area."

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Dennis Overbey and Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, according to Whiteley, went to the specific location indicated by the individual.

"A check of the residence revealed the discovery of the body at 1:35 p.m. Saturday in an abandoned outhouse behind the residence," Dobbs earlier said.

A search warrant subsequently was obtained to remove the Griffin's body.