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Author of Waller's manuscript rewarded for helping feds (1/13/18)CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cedric Dean had just left Sunday services in the chapel of a Louisiana prison when a killer offered him a deal. Help me tell my story, fellow inmate Clay Waller said in the spring of 2013, and I'll pay you $10,000...
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Waller sentenced to 35 years for federal crime related to wife's murder (12/20/17)Jackson murderer James Clay Waller II was sentenced to 35 years in prison Tuesday for a felony count of interstate domestic violence relating to the strangling and beating death of his estranged wife, Jacque Waller. The official sentencing came after Waller struck deal in October, in which he pleaded guilty to the domestic violence charge. It was announced at the time the deal would include the 35-year sentence. The sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 16, but the announcement came Tuesday...
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Waller pleads guilty; deal calls for 35-year sentence (10/6/17)Convicted murderer James Clay Waller II will serve a 35-year prison sentence on a federal charge stemming from the 2011 murder of his estranged wife under terms of a plea agreement, federal prosecutors said Thursday. If approved by the court, the sentence would run concurrent to a 20-year sentence he is serving after pleading guilty in state court in 2013 to second-degree murder in the death of estranged wife, Jacque Waller, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said...
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Clay Waller set to change plea in murder case (10/5/17)Convicted murderer James Clay Waller II is expected to plead guilty today in federal court in St. Louis to a charge of committing interstate domestic violence in the death of his estranged wife, court records suggest. On Sept. 28, six days after the case was set for trial, U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig issued an order setting a change-of-plea hearing. It will be at 12:30 p.m...
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Waller withdraws motions in federal case (8/24/17)Convicted murderer James Clay Waller II withdrew his pretrial motions Wednesday in federal court in Cape Girardeau, including motions to suppress evidence and dismiss the charge against him. U.S. Magistrate Judge Abbie Crites-Leoni accepted his decision, but only after repeatedly questioning Waller as to whether he understood the consequences of his decision...
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Federal prosecutors prepare case against 'dangerous, sociopathic' Waller (7/30/17)Convicted in state court of murder, James Clay Waller II now will be tried in federal court "to protect citizens from a dangerous, sociopathic and narcissistic murderer," federal prosecutors said in a court filing this week. A prison manuscript in which Waller stated "killing my wife was a no-brainer" did not prompt the federal case but rather dissatisfaction with the outcome of the state case, prosecutors said...
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Defense lawyer: Waller faces 'double jeopardy' in federal case (6/7/17)Convicted murderer James Clay Waller II faces "double jeopardy" if he is tried on a federal charge stemming from the state case, his lawyer said in a motion filed in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau. John Lynch, Waller's St. Louis-area lawyer, filed a motion late last week seeking to have the federal indictment dismissed on grounds of double jeopardy, violation of due process and failure to state an offense against the United States...
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Waller deemed competent to stand trial (1/11/17)Federal Judge Abbie Crites-Leoni on Tuesday found James Clay Waller II, 46, of Cape Girardeau mentally competent to stand trial and participate in his defense. Waller’s attorney John Lynch, who has an office in Clayton, Missouri, filed the motion Aug. 17 for a mental evaluation for Waller. Two psychiatric reports were filed with the court Dec. 6. Neither assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Ferrell nor Lynch had an objection to the reports...
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Waller pleads not guilty to new federal charge (5/25/16)Clay Waller, 45, of Cape Girardeau appeared in federal court Tuesday in Cape Girardeau and pleaded not guilty to interstate domestic violence. Interstate domestic violence is part of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. Federal prosecuting attorney Richard Callahan announced the indictment against Waller on Monday. The indictment alleges Waller crossed state lines to kill Jacque Sue Waller in 2011...
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Clay Waller faces federal charge in wife Jacque's murder (5/24/16)When Clay Waller was sentenced in 2013 to 20 years in prison, minus time served while waiting for trial, no one affiliated with the victim was particularly happy about it. A binding deal had been struck, with Jacque Waller's family's consent, that charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence would be reduced to second-degree murder. ...
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Prosecutor: Waller's manuscript will be used as evidence (5/24/16)Clay Waller supposedly was working on a book, and information contained in that manuscript is part of the evidence in the federal prosecutor's case that charges Waller with crossing state lines when he assaulted and killed his wife, Jacque Waller. According to the indictment in the case, the manuscript by Clay Waller is titled, "'If You Take My Kids, I'll Kill You!': The Public Confession of Missouri's Most Notorious Wife Killers."...
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Clay Waller faces federal charge of interstate domestic violence in wife Jacque's murder (5/23/16)Confessed murderer Clay Waller may face more prison time, as federal prosecutors seek to prosecute Waller on federal charges. The United States attorney's office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Monday "the unsealing" of an indictment, charging Waller, 45, with interstate domestic violence...
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Murderer Clay Waller transferred back to Missouri (12/8/15)Convicted murderer Clay Waller was transferred Sunday by Cape Girardeau County sheriff's deputies from a federal prison in Marianna, Florida, and is in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections to serve the remainder of a 20-year sentence...
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Waller triplets adopted by aunt and uncle (11/13/13)Adoption of Jacque Waller's triplets by her family became official Tuesday. Jacque Waller was slain June 1, 2011, by her estranged husband, Clay Waller, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty earlier this year to murder charges. ...
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Jacque Waller laid to rest Saturday (6/9/13)PARK HILLS, Mo. -- A day for which so many who loved her waited so long for came and went Saturday when Jacque Sue Rawson Waller finally was laid to rest. Hundreds turned out for her visitation, funeral and burial in Park Hills, not far from where she grew up, lived and spent her last days with her then-5-year-old triplets before her death June 1, 2011...
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Sheriff: Feds will get custody of Clay Waller before prison transfer (6/9/13)Clay Waller still was being held in the Cape Girardeau County Jail in Jackson on Friday, but he will likely be transferred back into the custody of federal authorities sometime this week before he heads to state prison for his second-degree murder conviction in the death of his estranged wife, Jacque Waller, Sheriff John Jordan said...
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Reactions to Waller sentence range from relief to regret (6/7/13)The father of the one who was lost stood before a crowded room Thursday. "She thought she could control him," said Stan Rawson of his daughter, Jacque Waller. "It was a big mistake. She couldn't." During a news conference after the admission by Clay Waller that he killed his estranged wife, and a 20-year sentence was laid upon him, Jacque Waller's family and the teams of law enforcement who brought her murderer to justice recounted their experiences...
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Prosecutor: Without deal, Jacque Waller wouldn't have been found (6/7/13)Without a plea deal that will see Clay Waller serve at least 85 percent of his 20-year prison sentence, his wife Jacque Waller's body never would have been found, Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh said. Limbaugh, speaking at a news conference Thursday after a hearing in which Clay Waller pleaded guilty to killing Jacque Waller on June 1, 2011, said his office consulted with the family before making the deal. He also said Clay Waller will likely serve the entire sentence.
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Waller pleads guilty to second-degree murder in wife's death (6/7/13)Clay Waller pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Waller originally had been charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with the June 1, 2011, disappearance of his estranged wife, Jacque Waller, whose body was found last week in Alexander County, Ill....
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Jacque Waller's sister, son give emotional testimony at hearing (6/7/13)Jacque Waller's sister, and one of her triplets, raked Clay Waller over the coals after his admission of killing his wife Jacque Waller. At a Thursday hearing in which Clay Waller pleaded guilty to killing Jacque Waller and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Jacque's sister Cheryl Brenneke gave a victim-impact statement. And a recording of an angry message from Jacque and Clay Waller's son Maddox, now 7 years old, to his guilty father was played...
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Waller funeral set for Saturday (6/6/13)Visitation and funeral services for Jacque Waller will be Saturday in Park Hills, Mo., a family member said. Waller's sister, Cheryl Brenneke, said visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at Esther Baptist Church, 412 Seventh St. in Park Hills. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Waller's family is requesting donations to either the Jacque ...
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Clay Waller to plead today (6/6/13)Clay Waller is expected in court this afternoon to enter a guilty plea in connection to the death of his wife Jacque Waller. A plea hearing is set for 1:30 p.m., Cape Girardeau County Circuit Judge Ben Lewis said earlier this week. Prosecutors and the public defender's office have been silent on the details of what Clay Waller will plead to, or what sentence he might get...
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Jacque Waller was found in Alexander County, Ill. (6/5/13)The disappearance of Jacque Waller from one state and the discovery of her body in another could make the person responsible for her disappearance criminally liable in multiple jurisdictions, a legal expert said. Waller disappeared June 1, 2011. Prosecutors announced her remains were found May 29...
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Clay Waller to plead guilty (6/5/13)Security will be tight at a Thursday afternoon hearing where Clay Waller is expected to plead guilty in connection with the death of his estranged wife, a Cape Girardeau County circuit judge reported. Waller faces a charge of first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Jacque Waller, whose body was found last week in Illinois...
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Laying out the evidence in the Waller case (6/5/13)Before Jacque Waller's body was found last week, prosecutors were relying on largely circumstantial evidence in their case against her estranged husband, Clay Waller, who is expected to plead guilty Thursday to first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with her June 1, 2011, disappearance...
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Father's death makes evidence inadmissible in Clay Waller case (6/3/13)The most damning piece of evidence in the case against the man accused of murdering Jacque Waller may be the one prosecutors can't use: his late father's claim that Clay Waller confessed to breaking his wife's neck and burying her body in a hole he dug ahead of time...
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Expert: Authorities have reason to keep quiet about Waller case (6/2/13)While Judge Benjamin Lewis has not issued a gag order in the Jacque Waller homicide case, legal experts say authorities have good reasons to be tight-lipped in the wake of the discovery of Waller's body last week...
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Wet weather doesn't stop Waller run (6/2/13)A rainy morning couldn't dampen a celebration of life during the second annual Jacque Waller 5k Run and Family Walk on Saturday. The event, held at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex, 1157 S. West End Blvd., marked the second anniversary of Jacque Waller's disappearance June 1, 2011. But after a week that saw the search for Waller come to a close, the occasion had special meaning for her family and friends...
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Jacque Waller's remains found (5/31/13)After two years of searching and waiting, a formal announcement came Thursday: The remains of Jacque Waller were finally discovered. Saturday is the two-year anniversary of the day the Jackson mother of triplets went missing. The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney's Office issued a news release about 2 p.m. Thursday, which simply stated Jacque Waller's remains were recovered Wednesday.
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Jacque Waller's sister expresses 'shock' at news of remains found (5/31/13)"Just shock" is what Jacque Waller's sister, Cheryl Brenneke, said she felt when she heard her sister's body had been found earlier this week. "You anticipate how you're going to feel for two years," Brenneke said. "You just can't prepare yourself, really. You just can't." Brenneke, who has custody of Jacque and Clay Waller's 7-year-old triplets, Maddox, Avery and Addison, told the children the news Thursday morning -- "that was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life," she said....
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Cleveland case gives hope in local missing-person cases (5/8/13)The discovery Monday in Cleveland of three women who disappeared more than a decade ago has lent hope to families and investigators searching for missing people in Southeast Missouri. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found alive in a house near downtown Cleveland, where police said they had been held captive since they were in their teens or early 20s...
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Cole County jury to be shipped in for Clay Waller murder trial (10/23/12)Clay Waller, who faces charges of first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence for his alleged role in the disappearance of his estranged wife Jacque, will go to trial Sept. 9 to 20 at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson...
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Search in S. Illinois ‘area of interest' precedes court date for Clay Waller (10/18/12)The Waller triplets turned 7 Sunday, as volunteers again searched another secluded spot for their missing mother. Their father, meanwhile, remained incarcerated awaiting a court date this week -- and eventually a trial -- on charges that he killed her and disposed of the body...
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Court upholds Clay Waller's federal sentence (8/26/12)A federal appeals court has upheld Clay Waller's sentence for making an Internet threat against his missing wife's sister. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling upholding the sentence on Friday. Waller was sentenced in January for making threats against Cheryl Brenneke, his missing wife's sister, on the website Topix. Waller pleaded guilty last October to threatening to kill Brenneke if she hurt his children. Waller's children are in Brenneke's custody...
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Waller's lawyer files for change of venue (8/24/12)Clay Waller's attorney has filed a motion for a change of venue in his client's murder trial, backing up what he said previously -- that he thinks a barrage of local media coverage would prevent Waller from getting an impartial jury in Cape Girardeau County...
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Waller pleads not guilty at arraignment on murder charge (8/14/12)Clay Waller pleaded not guilty Monday to a first-degree murder charge, as the high-profile case involving the disappearance of his wife nearly 14 months ago continues to grind its way through the criminal court process. In a hearing that lasted just a few minutes, Waller never spoke as his public defender Chris Davis entered a plea of not guilty to the murder and two evidence tampering charges. ...
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Clay Waller gets new court date, judge (8/2/12)Clay Waller has a new judge in his murder trial and his next court date has changed. Waller will now appear for his arraignment on first-degree murder and evidence charges Aug. 13, instead of Monday. A time for the arraignment was not yet set Wednesday, according to the Cape Girardeau County circuit clerk's office...
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Prosecutor requests judge change in Waller murder case (8/1/12)Prosecutors on Tuesday filed a motion for a change of judge in the James Clay Waller murder case. Cape Girardeau County assistant prosecutor Angel Woodruff filed the motion Tuesday. A preliminary hearing for Waller took place July 25. Cape Girardeau County Judge Gary Kamp bound Waller over to circuit court late Monday afternoon...
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Judge rules Waller will stand trial (7/31/12)Clay Waller will stand trial for the murder of his estranged wife. Cape Girardeau County Judge Gary Kamp bound Waller over to circuit court on Monday, following his preliminary hearing on first-degree murder and evidence tampering charges. Waller is charged in connection with his wife, Jacque Waller's, disappearance on June 1, 2011. Authorities allege Clay Waller killed Jacque Waller after an argument over finances and their pending divorce. The couple had three children together, triplets...
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Witness, Waller son face charges for fight outside preliminary hearing (7/29/12)Tickets will be sent to two people arrested for fighting Wednesday outside the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson during a recess from the preliminary hearing for Clay Waller. Jackson city attorney Tom Ludwig said a prosecution witness, Matt Marshall, and Clay Waller's son, James Clay Waller III, who goes by J.C. Waller, will each receive tickets for peace disturbance and "engaging in affray," or fighting...
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Clay Waller trial decision now in judge's hands (7/26/12)The prosecution laid out much of its murder case against Clay Waller at his preliminary hearing Wednesday, including testimony from Waller's former landlord, employees and experts, in an effort to convince a judge to take the case to trial.
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Waller preliminary hearing to be Wednesday (7/23/12)Family members of Jacque Waller, the Jackson woman who went missing last year, said they plan to be in attendance this week when her estranged husband has a preliminary hearing in her disappearance. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away," said Stan Rawson, the father of Jacque Waller, who went missing more than a year ago. "We want to see justice for Jacque. We'll be there."...
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Clay Waller arraigned on murder charge (6/5/12)Clay Waller, the man accused of killing his estranged wife Jacque Waller in Cape Girardeau County last year, was arraigned on a murder charge Monday. Circuit Court Judge Gary Kamp set a preliminary hearing in the case for 9 a.m. July 25. Clay Waller's case was also assigned to the public defender's office...
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Jacque Waller disappeared from Jackson a year ago today (6/1/12)Emotions are still raw for friends and family of Jacque Waller one year after the mother of triplets disappeared. Although her body has never been found, in April prosecutors filed a murder charge against her estranged husband, Clay Waller. Anybody who has had a loved one die unexpectedly can empathize with her family's loss, said Stan Rawson, Jacque Waller's father...
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Clay Waller to make court appearance on murder charge June 4 (5/20/12)Clay Waller will make his initial court appearance next month on charges that he murdered his wife and tampered with evidence. Waller is set to appear in a Jackson courtroom on June 4. At this initial appearance, the court will establish whether Waller has counsel or needs a public defender...
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Anniversary of Jacque Waller disappearance approaches (5/11/12)As friends prepare tributes to Jacque Sue Waller, who went missing June 1 last year, prosecutors are trying to return her estranged husband James Clay Waller to Cape Girardeau County to face a murder charge. And Clay Waller continues the appeal of a five-year sentence for making an Internet threat against Jacque Waller's sister...
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Prosecutors respond to appeal of Waller threat sentence (4/30/12)Federal prosecutors have responded to Clay Waller's appeal of a five-year sentence imposed on him for a federal Internet threat conviction. Assistant federal prosecutor Larry Ferrell responded to the appeal with a 69-page brief April 17. Waller, 41, pleaded guilty Oct. ...
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Friends of Jacque Waller plan new search (4/25/12)Friends of Jacque Waller are planning another search in May for the still-missing mother of three from Jackson. A first-degree murder charge was filed against her estranged husband, Clay Waller, on Monday. Jacque Waller was last seen June 1, 2011. Search leader Bobby Sherrill said Tuesday the search will cover over 100 acres in four areas of Cape Girardeau County on May 5. The search is law enforcement directed and no other organizational arrangements have yet been made...
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A timeline of the Jacque Waller disappearance investigation (4/24/12)The following items come from court documents and Southeast Missourian reporting of the case since Jacque Waller's June 1, 2011 disappearance. May 29, 2011 Clay pleads guilty to federal Internet threat charge against Brenneke.
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Clay Waller criminal charges one step toward 'justice for Jacque,' family, friends say (4/24/12)The holidays were bad. So were four birthdays, hers and those of her young triplets. For the last 11 months, those little moments of life were spent without the woman who was everything and yet something different to each of them -- a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend...