After a lengthy investigation into the disappearance of Antoine Smith, John Anthony Cole has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for second-degree murder, among other charges. The Maricopa County Attorney, Rachel Mitchell, confirmed the sentencing which closes the chapter on a gruesome tale of kidnapping and murder that began in 2022 when Smith was reported missing, as per the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Smith had alerted friends to his kidnapping through desperate texts, and those messages would eventually lead the authorities to Cole. Tracing Smith’s phone from Phoenix to Tucson helped Phoenix Police to connect the dots. A "welfare check" of Cole's residence by Tucson police, as detailed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, turned up telltale signs of foul play including suspicious items such as cleaning supplies and a blood-stained shovel.
In his plea, Cole admitted to the second-degree murder, along with aggravated assault and abandonment or concealment of a dead body, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
