(NewsSpace.com) – Criminals will sometimes go to extreme lengths to avoid the suspicion of law enforcement falling on them. However, they often make critical mistakes when this happens. An Ohio woman recently pleaded guilty to killing her boyfriend after cooking up an elaborate scheme to throw authorities off her tail.
The Crime
The crime dates back to August 10, 2023, when Zanesville resident Deborah Frazier called 911 to report a robbery. She told officers she was shot when she visited her boyfriend’s apartment and two burglars were on the way out. When law enforcement arrived, they found Frazier in the home’s entryway with a gunshot wound to her leg. They also found the body of Thomas Waddell wrapped in a blanket and garbage bag, which was secured by duct tape.
Nothing was removed from the home, nor was there any footage available of the alleged robbery. Further investigation revealed the victim had died more than 12 hours before Frazier called the police. During questioning, the suspect said she had been shot by the burglars, but then changed her story when the detectives wanted to test her for gunshot residue. Adding more fuel to the fire, during a forensic probe, Frazier’s browser history showed an inquiry for how long gunshot residue stays on the skin just hours before she made the 911 call.
Inconsistencies in the story made detectives dig deeper into Frazier.
The Twists
The more police investigated, the more twists arose. According to the Statement of Facts, Frazier, who had been dating Waddell at the time of his death, also had another boyfriend, John Anderson. She had been dating him on and off for 10 years and he was unaware she was in another relationship. She had reportedly lied to him and told him she was a live-in nurse caring for a dementia patient.
Anderson told police about a phone call Frazier asked him to make to Waddell, where he pretended to be a PNC Bank agent. The suspect also created a fake email with messages doctored to look like fraud claims from the bank, and bank records showed several withdrawals. This led police to believe that the crime may have been financially motivated.
Further investigation showed more concerning search inquiries such as “how to load a revolver pistol,” “worst place to get hit in the head,” and questions about the ammunition for a .22 caliber gun, the very one sitting next to her when police found her shot.
Eventually, police determined that Frazier killed Waddell execution-style with a gunshot to the back of his head while he sat in his recliner. She then concocted an elaborate ruse designed to throw authorities off her trail, but left behind critical evidence that was ultimately her undoing.
On Monday, March 18, Frazier pleaded guilty to several charges, including murder with a firearm specification, gross abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
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