Missourian faces charges in slaying of Arkansan

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PINEVILLE, Mo. -- A Missouri man was charged Friday after, police said, he fatally shot an Arkansas man while getting a ride home from a party and then forced two other people in the vehicle to dump the body along a rural road.

Henry Bridgeford, 25, of Noel, Mo., was jailed without bail on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Christian Zigmunt, 22, of Bella Vista. Bridgeford also is charged with armed criminal action and two counts of kidnapping. No attorney was listed for him Friday in online court records.

McDonald County Sheriff Michael Hall said there apparently were "words exchanged" at the party and that Bridgeford "became agitated" as a third man, who hosted the get-together, gave him a ride early Thursday. Hall said that after Zigmunt was shot, Bridgeford forced the host and another witness to drive around for about 30 minutes before dumping the body alongside a country road.

Hall said the witnesses dropped Bridgeford off at his house and headed straight to the sheriff's office. The "still shaken" men told law enforcement officers where they could find the body, Hall said.

The sheriff's office hasn't determined a motive for the shooting or what the men may have argued about.

Metro on 02/08/2020

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