Ohio woman’s body found in landfill; acquaintance arrested in her vehicle

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio (TCD) --

An Ohio man was arrested in a dead woman’s vehicle and charged with her murder after the woman’s body was found in a landfill on Friday, police announced Monday.

North Royalton Police officers went to check on the welfare of 50-year-old Cari Smith Friday morning, June 25, after she did not show up for work that day.

Officers found no one was home at her Royal Oaks apartment, but said there was suspicious activity indicating a possible abduction.

Police said Smith’s vehicle was missing from her garage unit. Investigators tracked the vehicle’s OnStar system to a location in Geauga County, approximately 40 miles east of the apartment.

Geauga County Sheriff’s deputies stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver, identified as 50-year-old Parma resident Richard Muncie.

“Discoveries in the vehicle were also consistent with the body having been transported from North Royalton to Fairport Harbor, by the subject in the victim's vehicle,” North Royalton Police said.

Police said they believe Smith’s body was first taken to Fairport Harbor, before being taken to a landfill in Geneva, Ohio, where Smith’s body was later found.

Police said Cari Smith was apparently killed by blunt force trauma in her residence.

Richard Muncie was arrested and charged with murder.

Police said Smith and Muncie knew each other, but were not living together, and “recent complaints and reports had suggested a strained relationship.”

Muncie appeared in Parma Municipal Court on Monday, WJW-TV reports. He was held without bond.

WJW has Geauga County Sheriff’s Office video of Muncie’s arrest.

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