Man who reported girlfriend missing is now charged with her murder

TACOMA -- Prosecutors say a 41-year-old man killed his girlfriend and then reported her missing to police.

Now, William Grisso is charged with 1st degree murder. He pleaded not guilty Thursday in a Pierce County courtroom.

Prosecutors say Grisso reported 45-year-old Nancy Gardner missing on June 30th. He told them he left home to run errands, but when he returned the house was unlocked and she was gone.

Gardner's keys, wallet and phone were still at the home. The only thing missing, he told them, was her handgun.

Officers said they noticed blood stains on Grisso's shoes while they were interviewing him. The shoes were taken as evidence and tested to confirm that the stains were blood.

Neighbors told investigators they heard the couple arguing on the day Gardner went missing.

Several days later, officers spoke with Grisso again and noticed drops of blood along the side of the driver's seat, according to prosecutors. Officers found the pistol Grisso said was missing in the console of the pickup truck.

Detectives found Gardner's body using evidence found on her cell phone. They used data from three flower photos to track where they were taken. That led detectives to Belfair where they found her body.

The medical examiner has not yet determined Gardner's cause of death.

Grisso is being held on $1 million bail.