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Prosecutor: Murder was an attempt to cover up break-in
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By Jeff Haldiman
News Tribune
The fear that someone might find out about a crime he committed appears to have been the motive behind the killing of a Jefferson City resident in Howard County.
As of Monday morning, Gabriel Luke Word, 20, Jefferson City, was being held in the Cole County Jail on first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges, in the death of Jeffrey G. Ward, 19, Jefferson City.
Howard County Prosecutor Mason Gebhardt said Monday that Word feared Ward would talk about a break-in both committed in Syracuse earlier this year.
Gebhardt also said he talked with Ward's father Monday morning, but had not made a decision on whether to pursue the death penalty against Word.
“I definitely don't do something like that on a snap decision,” he explained.
Ward had been listed as missing last Wednesday, with family and friends saying they had not seen or heard from him since July 4.
According to the Howard County Sheriff's Department probable cause statement, Jefferson City Police Detective Mark Edwards contacted Howard County on Friday, saying he had received a tip that there might be a connection in Howard County to Ward's disappearance.
The tip was that Wesley Freese, a Howard County resident, had hidden Ward's Camaro in the Boonesboro area.
Howard County deputies also had received a tip that Freese was seen driving the vehicle in the Lisbon area.
When Freese was arrested on some outstanding warrants and questioned, he told deputies they would find the Camaro on a levee by a low-water crossing on a county road.
Later, an anonymous phone call to the Howard County Jail said Ward was shot in the backyard of a residence on Route E, owned by Joe Woodruff.
During an interview with authorities at the jail, Freese said he and Woodruff were at the house on July 4 and Word and Ward later came there.
Freese said Word took Ward down some stairs and out a basement door, so they could shoot an old, western style gun that Word had.
A short time later, Freese told authorities, Word came back up and told Freese and Woodruff to look out the window. When they did, they saw the body of Ward on the ground and Word said he had shot him.
Freese said Woodruff then ran out of the house and didn't return.
According to Freese, Word told him that a couple of months ago he felt Ward was a liability and needed to be taken care of.
He said Word told him that he and Ward had broken into a residence in Syracuse owned by a man who owed Word $100. Word said the man wasn't home, so he trashed the place and then set it on fire.
Freese told authorities Word felt Ward would tell on him. He also said a couple of weeks earlier Word had told him that he was mad at Ward, because Word had lent Ward one of his dad's service revolvers, and Ward either lost it or pawned it.
Word had told Ward if he didn't give him the gun, or the money to replace it, Word would kill Ward.
Freese also told authorities he helped Word dispose of Ward's body because he was afraid of what Word might do to him.
Woodruff later called the Howard County sheriff's office, saying he had heard they wanted to talk to him.
After being picked up in Glasgow by deputies, Woodruff gave his account of events saying he remembered Word bringing Ward to the home on Route E on July 4. He said as he was cleaning the front porch when Word went inside and Ward stood outside with him. Woodruff said he then went inside and Ward followed him. He also said he had seen an old style .22 caliber PeaceMaker-type pistol on a counter and saw Word put it into the back of his pants. He said he then saw Ward and Word go down into the basement. He later thought he heard three gun shots and when he and Freese went to look out the window they saw Ward lying on the ground.
Prosecutor Gebhardt said Freese currently is being held only on the parole violations.
No charges have been filed against Woodruff.
However, Gebhardt couldn't rule out charges against either man, later.
Gebhardt said DNA testing on what is believed to be Ward's remains is being handled by the Missouri Highway Patrol. He couldn't say how soon results would be available.
As of Monday morning, Gabriel Luke Word, 20, Jefferson City, was being held in the Cole County Jail on first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges, in the death of Jeffrey G. Ward, 19, Jefferson City.
Howard County Prosecutor Mason Gebhardt said Monday that Word feared Ward would talk about a break-in both committed in Syracuse earlier this year.
Gebhardt also said he talked with Ward's father Monday morning, but had not made a decision on whether to pursue the death penalty against Word.
“I definitely don't do something like that on a snap decision,” he explained.
Ward had been listed as missing last Wednesday, with family and friends saying they had not seen or heard from him since July 4.
According to the Howard County Sheriff's Department probable cause statement, Jefferson City Police Detective Mark Edwards contacted Howard County on Friday, saying he had received a tip that there might be a connection in Howard County to Ward's disappearance.
The tip was that Wesley Freese, a Howard County resident, had hidden Ward's Camaro in the Boonesboro area.
Howard County deputies also had received a tip that Freese was seen driving the vehicle in the Lisbon area.
When Freese was arrested on some outstanding warrants and questioned, he told deputies they would find the Camaro on a levee by a low-water crossing on a county road.
Later, an anonymous phone call to the Howard County Jail said Ward was shot in the backyard of a residence on Route E, owned by Joe Woodruff.
During an interview with authorities at the jail, Freese said he and Woodruff were at the house on July 4 and Word and Ward later came there.
Freese said Word took Ward down some stairs and out a basement door, so they could shoot an old, western style gun that Word had.
A short time later, Freese told authorities, Word came back up and told Freese and Woodruff to look out the window. When they did, they saw the body of Ward on the ground and Word said he had shot him.
Freese said Woodruff then ran out of the house and didn't return.
According to Freese, Word told him that a couple of months ago he felt Ward was a liability and needed to be taken care of.
He said Word told him that he and Ward had broken into a residence in Syracuse owned by a man who owed Word $100. Word said the man wasn't home, so he trashed the place and then set it on fire.
Freese told authorities Word felt Ward would tell on him. He also said a couple of weeks earlier Word had told him that he was mad at Ward, because Word had lent Ward one of his dad's service revolvers, and Ward either lost it or pawned it.
Word had told Ward if he didn't give him the gun, or the money to replace it, Word would kill Ward.
Freese also told authorities he helped Word dispose of Ward's body because he was afraid of what Word might do to him.
Woodruff later called the Howard County sheriff's office, saying he had heard they wanted to talk to him.
After being picked up in Glasgow by deputies, Woodruff gave his account of events saying he remembered Word bringing Ward to the home on Route E on July 4. He said as he was cleaning the front porch when Word went inside and Ward stood outside with him. Woodruff said he then went inside and Ward followed him. He also said he had seen an old style .22 caliber PeaceMaker-type pistol on a counter and saw Word put it into the back of his pants. He said he then saw Ward and Word go down into the basement. He later thought he heard three gun shots and when he and Freese went to look out the window they saw Ward lying on the ground.
Prosecutor Gebhardt said Freese currently is being held only on the parole violations.
No charges have been filed against Woodruff.
However, Gebhardt couldn't rule out charges against either man, later.
Gebhardt said DNA testing on what is believed to be Ward's remains is being handled by the Missouri Highway Patrol. He couldn't say how soon results would be available.
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boscoe wrote on Jul 24, 2008 10:31 PM:
Research I have done says that these people have "borderline personality disorder" and there is no cure-None.
Scientists have found that their brains develop differently (physically) and this development is likely caused by lack of bonding/nurture from a parent between birth and 2-3 years of age.
VERY SCARY STUFF, and there are lots of folks out there with BPD just ticking time bombs before they take out several innocent victims around them. Law enforcement won't do anything until they actually commit a crime. "