Homicide is suspected after the body of a Cape Girardeau tattoo artist missing since December has been found in a septic tank in nearby St. Francois County.
The Southeast Missourian reports 38-year-old Samuel Francis was identified through dental records. An exact time of death has not been determined but authorities say Francis has been dead for several months. He was last seen December 17 at a residence outside Desloge.
Francis’ adoptive father thinks he was killed by a member of a motorcycle gang he had been hanging out with. Gary Francis says authorities told him they think his son was suffocated before his body was hidden in the tank.