Camdenton, MO, 07-29-22 - This afternoon, the Camden County Prosecuting Attorney's Office filed charges in the Tanner Elmore Missing Persons Case. Mr. Elmore went missing from the Camdenton Walmart on the evening of June 7th. Surveillance photos recovered from Walmart helped us and our partners at the Jefferson City Police Department identify Eric B Cole, 40, of Montreal as a person of interest in the case.

On July 13th, detectives from Jefferson City contacted detectives from the Camden County Sheriff's Office and advised they had Cole in custody on unrelated charges. Detectives from Camden County responded to Jefferson City and interviewed Cole. During their investigation Cole described he and Mr. Elmore driving to Jefferson City from Camdenton with the intent to purchase illegal narcotics. While using the narcotics together, Mr. Elmore had an adverse reaction and overdosed. Cole attempted to obtain Narcan from an acquaintance but was unsuccessful. Cole then drove Mr. Elmore back to Camden County without stopping at a hospital, ambulance base, fire station, police station, or anywhere else where he could have received medical attention. Cole described driving to the McCubbins Point area of Lake of the Ozarks State Park where he left Mr. Elmore's deceased body in a wooded area. Before leaving the area, Cole took Mr. Elmore's cell phone which he later sold.

On July 14th, detectives from Jefferson City escorted Cole to the McCubbins Point where they met with a search team from the Camden County Sheriff's Office and the Missouri State Park Rangers. Cole explained the general area where he remembered leaving Mr. Elmore's body more than a month prior. After several hours searching the surrounding area, we were able to locate Mr. Elmore's remains in an advanced state of decomposition consistent with the time frame described. The remains were wearing the same clothing Mr. Elmore was wearing on the night of his disappearance.

As a result of this investigation Eric B Cole is charged with the Class A Felony of 2nd Degree Murder, the Class C Felony of Conspiracy to Commit an Unclassified Felony (narcotics), the Class E Felony of Abandonment of a Corpse, and the Class A Misdemeanor of Stealing.

Cole is being held without bond in the Cole County Jail. He will be extradited to Camden County to face these charges in the Camden County Circuit Court.

The Camden County Sheriff's Office would like to thank our partners at the Missouri State Park Rangers, the Jefferson City Police Department, the Camden County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, and the Medical Examiners at Southwest Forensics for their assistance in this investigation.