An Arizona man allegedly choked the man to death after an argument before hosting a barbecue with friends.
An Arizona man has been thrown behind bars after cops say he strangled his roommate, stuffed the body in a suitcase, then hosted a party.
Keith Allen White, 50, was arrested in Sierra Vista on second-degree murder and tampering with evidence charges following an investigation into the death of Brian Cook.
White allegedly killed Cook following a trivial argument before hosting a barbecue with two people at the home where the body remained the next day, according to police.
Police told the Sierra Vista Herald that one of the guests was a relative of Cook's.
"The relative came over for the barbecue, not knowing where [Cook] was. The whole time, he was dead in the closet with the door closed," said Sgt. Sean Brownson told the Sierra Vista Herald.
According to a Sierra Vista Police Department news release, officers were called to the apartment once shared by the men after a tip was called in Monday.
"The caller said that White told them he killed his friend and roommate Brian Cook and hid the body in his bedroom closet," read the release.
When police arrived, White allegedly had the windows down with fans blowing out. Police reported detecting the smell of decomposition.
Police say White later admitted to the murder.
"White said he concealed Cook’s body in a suitcase stowed in the bedroom closet," the SVPD said. "He had been preparing to dispose of the body when officers arrived at the scene and intervened."
Read: Woman, 48, Arrested in Cold-Case Killing of College Student Butchered to Death in 1989
Police did not say exactly what the men had been arguing about but said White repeatedly referred to the murder as a "faux pas."
White is being held in the Cochise County Jail on $1 million bond.
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