LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Authorities in Bullitt County arrested a Louisville man more than a year after witnesses said he and his wife shot a neighbor, then burned him.
That man is still missing, according to police.
According to court documents, 36-year-old Brandon Stivers was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Bullitt County Detention Center on charges of Kidnapping with Serious Physical Injury, first-degree Assault and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Police said he and his wife, Nicole Stivers, who was already in custody, are charged in connection with the disappearance of 32-year-old Justin Burt.
Investigators said that on Sept. 4, 2020, the Stivers' used phone messages to lure Burt to their home. Once he arrived, the couple attacked him, according to police.
While Brandon Stivers was fighting Burt in the garage, police said Nicole Stivers grabbed a gun and shot Burt. Police said they then put him in the trunk of their vehicle and shot him again before fleeing the scene and driving to Ohio.
Witnesses in Ohio allegedly told police that the Stivers admitted to shooting Burt and that Nicole Stivers admitted to burning him.
To date, Burt has not been found. His current status is not known.
An updated wanted poster from the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office after the arrest of Brandon Stivers. Feb. 16, 2022.
Police said that on Nov. 2, 2020, they found Brandon Stivers with the vehicle. Court documents said that when a search warrant was executed on the vehicle, chemical tests revealed multiple spots where blood had been found on the trunk's roof. Court documents said the the lining of the trunk had been removed.
Nicole Stivers initially told police that she stabbed Burt, put him in the trunk of her vehicle and forced him into the Ohio River, her husband having nothing to do with the crime. She was arrested in November 2020 and charged with Kidnapping, Assault and Tampering with Physical Evidence.
But according to phone records, police said they determined that Brandon Stivers was with his wife at the time and was "actively involved" in the assault.
A warrant was issued for Brandon Stivers on Nov. 11, 2020, for tampering with physical evidence. On March 1, 2021, kidnapping and assault, first-degree charges were added to the warrant. Brandon Stivers was arrested on Feb. 16, 2022. He also is now charged with Kidnapping, Assault and Tampering with Physical Evidence.
Court documents make no reference to Burt's current condition or location.
A release from the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office asked that anyone with information about the disappearance of Justin Burt to call its tip line at 502-543-1262 or email crimetip@bcky.org.
This story may be updated.
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- Judge sends Bullitt County kidnapping, missing person case to grand jury
- Bullitt County woman charged with kidnapping, assault makes 1st court appearance
- REPORT: Bullitt Co. woman confessed to forcing man into Ohio River; victim hasn't been found
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