ALEXANDRIA, VA – A 63-year-old Alexandria man has been charged with the murder of another Alexandria man who was reported missing by his family on Monday, Alexandria police said Wednesday.
According to Alexandria City Police Chief Tarrick McGuire, John Stremple III, 63, was charged with the murder of Joshua Cochran, 44, after Cochran's body was discovered in Stremple's apartment on the 5700 block of Merton Court on Tuesday.
The APD had issued a critical missing person alert for Cochran earlier that day.
During a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, McGuire said officers had visited Cochran's apartment on Monday at the request of his family, but the man was nowhere to be found.
On Tuesday, detectives collected video footage and heard witness statements that between Monday night and Tuesday morning, the two men had been drinking together at an Alexandria restaurant and then traveled together to Stremple's apartment, McGuire said. Detectives then visited Stremple's apartment to gather more information.
According to McGuire, Stremple opened the door and spontaneously announced to detectives that he had killed Cochran.
Cochran's body was found in a closet in Stremple's apartment with serious blunt force trauma to his head, the police chief said.
Stremple III is charged with second-degree murder. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 6.
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