Man convicted of murdering and dismembering a Phoenix man over his roommate's debt

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A man will spend more than three decades behind bars for killing and dismembering a Phoenix man two years ago in connection with a money dispute.

John Anthony Cole, 48, of Tucson, was sentenced late last month to 31 years in prison for the murder of Antoine Smith.

In September 2022, Smith was reported missing after court documents said he texted friends that Cole had kidnapped him to collect a debt from one of his roommates. Documents show Smith told his girlfriend he was scared and shared his location, which showed he was traveling on Interstate 10 in Chandler.

The roommate later shared Cole's phone number and Tucson address with Smith's girlfriend. Phoenix police were involved in the reported kidnapping and spoke to Smith's other roommate, who said Cole called him and said he would kill Smith if he didn't get his money.

Tucson police conducted a welfare check on Cole. No one was there, but officers found cleaning supplies and a blood-stained shovel.

Documents show police accessed phone records that showed Cole was traveling near the Arizona-California border. DPS troopers were notified and stopped Cole near Quartzsite. The police found human remains in the car.

Cole reportedly told police after his arrest that Smith attacked him while they were taking a bathroom break along I-10 and that he strangled him in self-defense. Cole then reportedly took the body to his home in Tucson and purchased several cleaning supplies to dismember the remains.

Cole also led investigators to a rural area south of Tucson where he had dumped some of Smith's other remains.

Earlier this year, Cole pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated assault and abandoning or concealing a corpse.

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