Woman searched ‘How to load a gun’ before staging boyfriend’s killing, Ohio cops say
A woman pleaded guilty to charges involving the killing of her boyfriend and staging a crime scene to fake a home invasion, Ohio authorities say.
Muskingum County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle said Deborah Frazier, 36, will serve a life sentence in jail following her guilty plea from the Aug. 9 incident.
Frazier was accused of shooting her boyfriend, 66-year-old Thomas Waddell, as he sat in his recliner in the living room of their Zanesville home, according to a statement of facts presented by the prosecutor’s office.
“She then set about covering up her crime in dramatic, but unsuccessful fashion,” authorities said.
The prosecutor’s office said Frazier waited more than 12 hours to call 911. When she did, she told dispatchers that she — not Waddell — had been shot during an alleged home invasion.
Frazier was discovered in the entryway of her apartment with a gunshot wound to her leg, according to court records. She said two masked men shot her while leaving the apartment.
But the alleged home invasion, police said, never happened. It’s believed that Frazier shot herself in the leg as she staged a crime scene.
Officers discovered Waddell in a bedroom with his body wrapped in “trash bags, duct tape and a comforter,” court records show. Throughout the home, there was little evidence that suggested a burglary occurred.
“Waddell’s apartment was well-kept and orderly. There were no indicators of drug use or drug sales, which accompany home-invasions in almost all circumstances,” court records said. “The ransacking described by Frazier was closer to superficial mess-making. Officers found photographs of Frazier and Waddell on the floor, torn up. Nothing of value appeared to be missing, including numerous firearms, all items likely to be stolen in a home invasion.”
An investigation revealed Frazier killed Waddell for financial reasons, officials said.
In the days prior to Waddell’s killing, Frazier searched the following phrases on her phone: “How to load a gun,” “How to load a revolver pistol” and “Worst place to get hit in the head,” police said.
Authorities believe Waddell acted alone in the killing despite the involvement of a second boyfriend. The prosecutor’s office said the second man, who was not aware Frazier was in a romantic relationship with Waddell, drove her around following the shooting.
The Zanesville Police Department announced Frazier’s arrest Aug. 11. She was charged with murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence and domestic violence.
By pleading guilty, Frazier will avoid a trail, authorities said.
“This plea allows her to accept responsibility and eliminates the risks associated with a trial on the horrific and tabloid-esque facts of this case,” Litle said in the news release.
Waddell had three children and seven grandchildren, according to his obituary. He was known as a handyman who enjoyed nature and sports.
“Tom absolutely adored his grandchildren, who followed his lead in fondness for cowboy boots as well as artistic creations,” the obituary read.
Zanesville is about a 55-mile drive east of Columbus.
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