Matthew Sanders
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Boone County judge ordered a Columbia man committed indefinitely to the Missouri Department of Mental Health on Wednesday after accepting his insanity plea in the death of his father and subsequent fire.
Steven Strumpf had been set for trial on first-degree murder, armed criminal action, second-degree arson and credit card fraud charges this month. But the trial was canceled and a hearing set for Wednesday, where Judge Jeff Harris accepted Strumpf’s insanity plea.
Harris’ order says Strumpf was examined by the Department of Mental Health on Aug. 22, and doctors diagnosed unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Those disorders made Strumpf incapable of understanding the consequences of his actions, the order says.
The state did not object, and no other exam was ordered, the order states.
Steven Strumpf was accused of killing David Strumpf in January 2024 on Deerfoot Way in south Columbia. Police accused Steven Strumpf of stabbing David Strumpf and setting him and the house on fire.
According to Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson, Strumpf allegedly told detectives on the night of the murder that he was driving to Columbia from Kansas City when he saw graffiti that he believed was a message to him from a demon.
Strumpf told detectives he believed the graffiti was telling him that his father was a demon and was going to kill him.
He then allegedly said he heard a voice say “game over” in the kitchen of the home, which he interpreted as meaning his father was going to kill him. He then got a knife and stabbed his father, and later burnt his body but told detectives he didn’t believe it was his dad’s body that he was burning.
Johnson also said Strumpf has made statements over time, indicating that he is was the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
According to Johnson, Strumpf has a history of mental health issues, and has made “irrational statements” at court hearings in the past. He said the DMH has tests they can conduct to determine if a person is faking a disorder, but ultimately determined that Strumpf was not.
“He’s been consistent throughout the case when he’s talking with the detectives and when he’s talking with other people that that these are sincere beliefs that he had,” Johnson said. “It’s a case where they’ve had a lot of opportunity to observe him and see how he’s acting, and he’s just consistently demonstrated really serious mental health issues.”
Johnson said over the last several years, the number of cases his office has involving serious mental health issues has increased substantially.
David Strump’s stepdaughter– Maura Bassett– addressed the court room on Wednesday, stating that David was a “remarkable man” who spent years caring for Steven. Bassett also said following the murder, the family told detectives of documents Steven had written about David.
Detectives believed the notes may have shown that the murder was planned, Bassett said.
Bassett told the judge that along with the pain she and her family have endured over the years, there is also the threat of parole and said her mother believes Steven would try and kill her, if granted parole.
“It hurts to live knowing that I will never have him (David) in my life again. It hurts to continually relive my experiences of having a father figure in retrospect. I want nothing more than to have David back in our lives but unfortunately, I now understand the finality of death,” Bassett wrote. “So I urge you, please consider my words and assist my family in finding reprieve from anymore senseless death.”
Strumpf’s attorney declined to comment on the case.
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