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Charges Filed Against Murder Suspect

by John Boyd

Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison and Cowley County Attorney Christopher Smith today filed charges against Justin Eugene Thurber for the murder of Jodi Leann Sanderholm. Thurber has been charged with Capital Murder, Rape and Aggravated Kidnapping.

Authorities believe Thurber kidnapped Sanderholm following her dance practice on Friday, January 5th.  According to police, he then drove her to a rural part of southeast Cowley County where she was raped and murdered. Police also allege that Thurber then disposed of Sanderholm's car in the Cowley County State Fishing Lake.

Both Sanderholm's body and car were recovered on Tuesday, January 9th by the Arkansas City Police Department with assistance from the Arkansas City and Burden Fire Department.

"The Arkansas City Police Chief Sean Wallace, Cowley County Attorney Chris Smith, the KBI and all local law enforcement have done an excellent job on this case," said Morrison. "We will continue to work closely as we move towards a resolution."

Thurber has been held on unrelated misdemeanor charges in Winfield for over a week. His first appearance in court for murder will be this afternoon, Wednesday, January 17th in the Winfield Courthouse.

At a noon news conference, Attorney General Paul Morrison said they don't believe any other suspects are involved, but they aren't ruling anything out, either.