Webb City man sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joplin woman, throwing her body in mine shaft

Judge Gayle Crane sentenced a Webb City man to life in prison without the possibility of parole Monday for the May 29, 2016 murder of Anita Dunn, 61, Joplin.

A Jasper County jury found Todd Greathouse, 55, guilty of murdering Dunn and dumping her body in an abandoned mine shaft.

The case against Greathouse was spelled out in the probable cause statement from Cpl. Luke Stahl of the Joplin Police Department:
Greathouse drove from his residence (1715 Prairie Flower Road, Webb City, 64875) to the victim, Willana "Anita" Dunn's residence (1101 S. Jackson Ave.). Greathouse and Dunn got into an argument and during the argument Greathouse strangled Dunn until she lost consciousness.

He then used a cord from a lamp and strangled Dunn until he was sure she was deceased. After Dunn was deceased, Greathouse carried her to his 1998 Volkwagen Beetle (Missouri License Plate SN0A9U) and placed her in the trunk.

Greathouse drove Dunn's body to the area of 1745 Pump Lane, Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, 64801. Greathouse used wire and weed eater cord and tied Dunn to a rock; he then dropped Dun's body into an abandoned mine shaft filled with water.

Dunn's body was located in a flooded mineshaft in the area of 1745 Pump Lane. Dunn was tied to a large rock by wire and weed eater line.