Columbia Police search for man seen with George Showalter, decades after murder at Red Roof Inn

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police are still searching for a man seen with 59-year-old George Showalter before he was killed at the Red Roof Inn in 1994.

On April 17, 1994, Columbia Police responded to a call at the Red Roof Inn Motel near Interstate 70 and found Showalter facedown and naked on a bed in room 147. At the time, police said an autopsy by the Boone County Medical Examiner's Office found Showalter was strangled to death.

Showalter's wallet was missing from the room. Columbia Police Department Lt. Matt Gremore told ABC 17 News there were no defensive wounds on Showalter. Despite the missing wallet, police remain unsure of the motive.

"It's hard to know the motive, if that's a coincidence that the wallet is missing, I would say it's probably not a coincidence, but I would be speculating on my part to know that," Gremore said.

Gremore said "a bunch" of evidence was collected at the crime scene, but would not go into specifics about the items collected. But he did reveal information about new evidence being tested.

"We've had several cold cases that we've looked at to send new evidence off to private labs," Gremore said. "This case is one of those cases that we're looking into to see if we can get something to come from it."

Thirty-one years after the crime, police are not only continuing to search for new leads from evidence testing, but they're also continuing to search for the man last seen with Showalter.

"Based on talking with witnesses the day before on the 16th, police were able to get a rough sketch of the individual they believe that was with Showalter prior to his death," Gremore said.

Police gave this description of the man seen with Showalter before his death:

• 20 to 40 years old
• Average build
• Light brown, possibly graying hair
• Brown-and-white checkered shirt
• Possible vest

Police say the man was seen with Showalter at the Olde Un Theatre Adult Store on East Walnut Street around 4 to 6 p.m. Then, at around 9 p.m., the two were seen down the road at Boone Tavern next to the Boone County Courthouse in the outside deck area.

Police say they don't have any suspects, but investigators would like to speak with the man last seen with Showalter. Police ask anyone who might know something to contact them.

"It's hard to come forward with information, it's not easy," Gremore said. "I completely understand that. The problem exists that if you have killers that are in your community, the reason why they keep getting away with it is because nobody's come forward."

A 'light-filled human being'

Friends and family of Showalter tell ABC 17 News that he was in town that weekend for a library conference.

"He enjoyed going to Columbia," Kris Richards said. "He graduated from Mizzou, so he finally felt like he was going back to the stomping grounds."

Richards is the manager of The Independent-Journal newspaper in Potosi, Missouri. He grew up in the family newspaper business and says he is the third generation to run The Independent-Journal. He says Showalter served as a mentor to him.

"I was actually in a laundry basket at the end of his desk whenever he was the editor at the newspaper," Richards said.

Showalter was born in 1934 in Potosi -- a small town with a few thousand people about an hour and 15 minutes south of St. Louis. In Potosi, he served as the president of the local historical society, worked as an administrator for the Potosi R-III School District and at The Independent-Journal.

"One of the things that I thought was amazing about him, he probably typed, you could say about 100 words a minute," Richards said. "He could sit there and always had a cigar in his mouth because he smoked a cigar continuously. But he could sit there and talk to you, answer a question, carry on a conversation, and type up a story or headline for a picture and never miss a beat."

Richards said Showalter had a passion for history and "connecting the dots."

"I remember just how intelligent he was and how focused he was on doing his work," Richards said. "His big thing was providing information. That's what he did with the newspaper, and that's what he did with the school to learn."

Showalter's cousin, Wendy Correa, recalls connecting with Showalter over their shared interest in family history.

"I connected with him at all of our family reunions because of our mutual love of history and genealogy and books and education and photography," Correa said. "Especially on his research of our extensive family tree decades before the internet was invented."

Correa said Showalter was one of the most engaging humans she has ever met.

"I think he was the most interesting person in our whole family," Correa said. "He was named Volunteer of the Year in Potosi."

Correa says when she graduated high school, Showalter and his sister Marge sent her an antique silver spoon on a silver necklace that was "incredibly thoughtful."

"He was a tremendous light-filled human being, and we need more George Showalters in the world," Correa said.

Decades after his death, Showalter's family is still grieving the loss. Correa recalled the shock and horror she felt when she found out he had been killed.

"Disbelief that something like that could happen to such a good human being," Correa said. "It's just haunted me for years that there was never any closure for the family."

Showalter's cousin is still holding out hope the case will be solved.