2 bodies found near Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A central Missouri road-crew worker made a grisly discovery Saturday when he found a dead body near the entrance of a now-closed trailer park, and deputies found a second body about 150 yards away.

The Boone County Sheriff's Department identified the victims as James W. Richardson, 41, of Columbia, and Kenneth B. Long, 42, of Mexico, Missouri.

The deaths are being treated as a double homicide, but sheriff's department spokesman Tom O'Sullivan declined to say how the men were killed.

"We have a pretty good idea of it, but we're not releasing that yet," he told the Columbia Daily Tribune.

Richardson's body was found near the entrance of the now-closed El Ray Mobile Home Park on the outskirts of Columbia at 8:45 a.m. Saturday. The road worker called 911.

A police dog brought to the scene led deputies to Long's body in a field that once housed the mobile-home park, which closed about five years ago.

An office building and one trailer remain on the property, which is overgrown with weeds and grass.

The men appear to have been killed where they were found, O'Sullivan said.

A car belonging to one of the victims was the only vehicle at the scene.

Officials were "reasonably certain" the men were found within several hours of their deaths, O'Sullivan said.

A woman who lives two blocks from where the trailer park stood said the area usually is quiet. Coradine Demien said she hasn't had any issues in the neighborhood since moving in about six years ago.

The deaths also came as a surprise to Harold and Pat Bossaller, who said they have lived in their home near the scene of the homicides for 42 years and didn't experience any noteworthy problems.