Around 5:30 p.m. Friday, the Columbia Police Department filed an arrest warrant for Zachariah Joel Peterson for the murder of James Porter, according to a CPD news release. Peterson has been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
The warrant was approved and sent to Boone County Jail where Peterson is being held, according to the news release. A probable cause statement has also been submitted to the Boone County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Peterson’s bond is $1 million in cash only, according to the news release.
CPD spokeswoman Jill Wieneke said the police department does not know what his motive was, and the incident is pending further investigation.
“Since he was charged with second-degree (murder), it doesn’t sound like the prosecutors think it was pre-planned,” Wieneke said.
Peterson’s girlfriend turned over a bag containing a felony-amount of marijuana to police, and CPD also found a lot of cash in his home, according to a news release.
Wieneke said the evidence points to a drug deal, and she does not know the motive of the murder.
Porter’s body was found Jan. 18 in Sunset Trailer Court, 4130 S. Lenoir St., near lot 72A, according to the news release.
According to the news release, witnesses saw Peterson in his blue 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe at Porter’s home. According to witnesses, they were going to do a drug deal, the news release stated.
“A witness told police they heard gunshots and saw Porter fall from the passenger side of the Tahoe, which then left at a high rate of speed,” the news release stated.