'Very troubled:' 13 years later, Lake Geneva police say man confessed to murder of wife in Missouri

13 years later, Lake Geneva police say man confessed to murder of wife in Missouri

Keith Comfort

LAKE GENEVA -- A Lake Geneva man has been charged with second degree murder in the death of a Missouri woman who’s been missing for 13 years.

On Aug. 4, 2006 in Boone County, Missouri, Megan Shultz, 24, and her husband got into an argument at their apartment. The next day, her husband filed a report with Columbia police, saying he last saw her walking away.

On Sunday, Aug. 4, 13 years to the day later, Keith Comfort, 37, walked into the Lake Geneva Police Department and said he killed Shultz, his wife, according to prosecutors.

"The circumstances where you have someone come into a police station and accept responsibility 13 years later, yes, that is a long time in a different state," said Dan Knight, Boone County prosecutor. "That is unusual."

Comfort was charged Monday, Aug. 5 in connection with the murder. According to court documents, Comfort told Lake Geneva police Shultz was "frantic," "yelling," and "swinging her arms at him." That's when, according to a probable cause statement, Comfort said he "grabbed" her, "took her to the ground, and strangled her," later placing Shultz's lifeless body "in a black garbage bag," and "threw her into the dumpster." Only when her mother asked him where she was did he file a missing person's report.

Megan Shultz

Megan Shultz, Keith Comfort

Megan Shultz,

"Keith could smile and put on the charm, but he was a very troubled young man," said Debra Shultz, Megan's mother.

Debra Shultz told KMIZ Comfort was a violent person.

"Keith had it down to an art -- of lying and smiling," said Debra Shultz.

Less than three weeks after his wife's reported disappearance, Comfort filed for divorce, eventually moving to Wisconsin, re-marrying, but divorcing about a year ago. He was living at a long-stay motel in town until he walked into the police department on Sunday.

He was being held in the Walworth County Jail pending extradition to Missouri on the murder charge, with cash bond set at $1 million.