Klan chief found dead near a Missouri river
Although not as well known as media-savvy David Duke, the deceased was arguably the second most influential member of the racist organization, and it’s clear foul play was involved.
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Frank Ancona, the imperial wizard of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, was found dead Saturday near Belgrade, Mo.
The body of the 51-year-old Leadwood, Mo., resident was located near the Big River by a family fishing in the area, according to a statement issued Saturday night by Washington County Sheriff Zach Jacobsen.
Jacobsen said an autopsy is being conducted and a cause of death has not been released. He called the incident a “tragic and senseless act of violence.”
Jacobsen said authorities learned on Friday that Ancona had disappeared and that his car had been located by a U.S. Forest Service employee on Forest Service property near Potosi. He said deputies secured the area. On Saturday, Jacobsen said, he requested assistance from the Missouri Highway Patrol.
“During the investigation, one subject was arrested on an unrelated warrant and two search warrants were executed in Washington County,” Jacobsen said. “Subsequently, a body was discovered on the bank of the Big River near Belgrade, Mo., in southern Washington County … The body was identified as Mr. Ancona, and his family has been notified.”
Ancona had posted recruiting videos and cross burnings on YouTube and was profiled in The Star’s 2015 domestic terrorism series.
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