Andrew Isaac Griffin appears in Belmont County Common Pleas Court for pre-trial hearing. Griffin is charged with the homicide of his Salsa Joe’s Restaurant business partner Thomas Strussion and his wife Angela Strussion. The couple were murdered in their Trails End Drive home near Belmont in 2021. 9T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA)

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Alleged double murderer Andrew Isaac Griffin was back in Belmont County Common Pleas Court for another pre-trial hearing on Friday afternoon.

Griffin is accused of the double homicide of his Salsa Joe’s Restaurant business partner Thomas Strussion and his wife Angela Strussion. The couple were murdered in their Trails End Drive home near Belmont in 2021 along with their dogs.

During the pre-trial on Friday, Griffin’s attorney Kate Clark of Samuel H. Shamansky Law Officer and Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan both informed Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalter that no new discovery has been submitted to the court since the last pre-trail hearing.

Berhalter said that at the last hearing on Jan. 30 a new trial date was set for Oct. 19 at 8:30 a.m. He asked both parties to confirm that the new date works for them and both did.

Berhalter added that a telephone meeting with himself, Samuel H. Shamansky and Flanagan will be arranged to determine how to notify the jury that the trial date has been changed from March 2 to Oct. 19.

Berhalter said that the court has recently ruled on the state’s motion in regards to spousal privilege, but that decision is under seal.

The court has also recently ruled on state’s motion which sought to have both Detectives Ryan Allar and Jordan Blumling declared state’s representatives to be present in the courtroom throughout the trial and Blumling declared an expert witness. Berhalter granted the motion.

Berhalter then set the next pre-trial hearing for March 27 at 1:30 p.m. in Common Pleas Court.