Two men arrested for murder

RAINBOW CITY -- Two men were arrested Friday in the murder investigation of a body found in a ditch near East Prairie.

Michael D. Meador, 25, of Ste. Genevieve has been charged in New Madrid County with murder in the first degree, tampering with physical evidence and trafficking in drugs in the second degree, according to Capt. Ron Replogle, director of the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control. Meador is being held in the New Madrid County Jail with no bond.

Dennis Dinwiddie, 28, of Louisville, Ky., has been charged in New Madrid County with murder in the first degree and armed criminal action. Dinwiddie is in custody with no bond.

On April 22, the body of a Hispanic male was located near East Prairie. At the time, there was no identification on the body. However, he was later identified as Sergio Burgos Gonzalez, a 36-year-old Hispanic male from Edinburg, Texas. Gonzalez had been shot multiple times. Further investigation revealed Gonzalez had been involved in illegal drug trafficking to the area.

Investigators have determined the homicide occurred in New Madrid County, in the Village of Rainbow City, and the victim's body had been dumped at the Mississippi County location.

The investigation is continuing, and further arrests are expected. A joint investigation is being conducted by the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department, Mississippi County Coroner's Office, New Madrid County Sheriff's Department, Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff's Department, FBI, Texas law enforcement agencies, Tennessee law enforcement agencies and the Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control.

Anyone with additional information regarding the homicide should call the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department at (573) 748-2516.