JeffCo Suspect Helped Hide Body of Missing St. Louis Man: Sheriff

A man who investigators say helped hide the body of a murdered St. Louis man in 2019 has been charged with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

Timmy Miller, 51, of High Ridge in Jefferson County admitted to a Jefferson County Sheriff's detective that he saw another man, 44-year-old Jason Isbell, beat Samuel Israelsen to death with a baseball bat in June 2019 behind a house on the outskirts of Eureka, according to court documents.

Israelsen, 41, was later reported missing by his mother, but his whereabouts remained a mystery until last week when a property owner discovered his body in the woods. According to sheriff's investigators, Israelsen had been dropped off at 30 Ridgedale Drive. Isbell, who was arrested last week, was there, too.

Following the deadly beating, authorities say, Israelsen was wrapped in tarps and carpet. He was then loaded onto a detached car hood, which was hooked to the back of a four-wheeler and dragged along like a sled, according to court documents. Isbell drove the four-wheeler to a secluded spot and hid Israelsen's body beneath a woodpile, authorities say. Miller followed behind on a mini-bike.

Miller told investigators that Isbell intended to burn the woodpile and Israelsen's body but never did. Detectives were able to identify Israelsen thanks in part to a large "St. Louis" tattoo on his arm.

Isbell is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He and Miller were both jailed without bond.

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