Brutal Boyfriend Accused Of Bludgeoning Ex To Death, Dumping Her Remains In Landfill

A man accused of bludgeoning his North Royalton ex-girlfriend to death and dumping her remains in an Ashtabula County landfill has pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday morning, July 14, in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, authorities said.

On June 25, Richard Muncie, 50, reportedly beat Cari Smith, 50, to death inside her Royal Oaks apartment before disposing of her body at the Waste Management landfill on Tuttle Road in Geneva, according to North Royalton police.

Muncie, who hails from Parma, was reportedly been indicted on multiple charges, including aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, offenses against a human corpse, aggravated burglary, and grand theft, Cleveland 19 News reported.

After Smith did not show up for work on June 25 morning, Smith’s concerned co-workers at the Cleveland Clinic alerted the police for a welfare check. When officers reached Smith's apartment, they discovered Smith’s car missing and evidence of foul play inside the home.

"Suspicious activity was noted at the scene consistent with an abduction,” authorities said.

Dried blood droplets were reportedly discovered outside Smith's apartment, with a trail of blood leading to her garage. When the police opened the garage, they found that Smith’s vehicle was missing. Police then went to Smith's apartment and found a small bloodstain on the floor of the bedroom, and much larger bloodstains covered by pillows on the floor and bed, News 5 Cleveland reported.

Smith's vehicle was reportedly located by OnStar at a Walmart in Pennsylvania. The officers tracked down the vehicle and arrested Muncie who was driving the car. Bloodstains were found on Muncie's shorts and in the trunk of Smith's vehicle. Police also found Smith's purse in the vehicle.

Shortly after Muncie's arrest, Smith’s body was found at a Geneva landfill. The authorities believe that Muncie dumped Smith's body, wrapped in blankets from her bedroom, in a dumpster in Fairport Harbor.

Muncie and Smith reportedly had a “strained relationship and were broken up at the time of her death," police officials said. Smith reportedly accused Muncie of punching her and throwing her to the floor on May 31 inside her apartment, according to police records. No charges were filed during the incident and the case was still being reviewed, police officials confirmed.

Smith leaves behind two children, a son, and a daughter. According to court records, Muncie has a previous conviction for felonious assault. He remains held on a $2 million bond and will be back in court on Tuesday, July 20.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 10 million people are physically abused by a partner in the U.S. every year.