Clay Waller to plead guilty

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.

A limited number of seats will be available to the public at the hearing, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the courthouse in Jackson, said Judge Benjamin Lewis.

No telephones, computers or cameras will be allowed in the courtroom, and anyone attending the hearing will have to pass through a metal detector, he said. Assigned media will have cameras in the courtroom.

Lewis said he could not release details about the plea deal before the hearing. Law enforcement officials referred questions to the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's office.

Assistant prosecuting attorney Angel Woodruff declined to comment, citing ethical concerns.

Jacque Waller's mother, Ruby Rawson, said the family was "just happy" the hearing is taking place.

"It means we get Jacque back," Rawson said.

Funeral arrangements are still pending because authorities haven't yet released Jacque Waller's body, but family members said last week they hope to have services Saturday.

Jacque Waller's remains were found May 29, three days before the two-year anniversary of her June 1, 2011, disappearance.

Authorities have not released the exact location where Jacque Waller's remains were found, but Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said he and the Alexander County, Ill., coroner are trying to determine who is responsible for signing the death certificate.

Under Illinois law, the coroner in the county where a body is found is responsible for issuing a death certificate, but if authorities can prove the victim died in another county, the coroner in that county would have jurisdiction, Clifton said.

"If they can prove that she was killed or died in Cape Girardeau County and transported over there, then it would be the Cape County coroner's responsibility," he said.

According to court records, about two hours after Jacque Waller's last phone call, two witnesses told police they saw Clay Waller standing in his back driveway next to a red pickup truck with a boat behind it, and at least twice, volunteers have searched Devil's Island near McClure, Ill.

The thickly wooded island is accessible only by boat.

Clay Waller was charged in April 2012 with first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence in the case.

Investigators found blood spattered on the walls and blood-soaked carpet in a crawl space under the house where Clay Waller was staying, Jackson police chief James Humphreys said in a probable-cause statement in the case.

DNA testing matched the blood to Jacque Waller.

In the statement, Humphreys wrote, Clay "Waller's whereabouts during the time of Jacque's murder, disposal of her body, disposal of her car and the disabling of her cellular phones are unknown and cannot be accounted for."

Humphreys also wrote that Clay Waller was "largely uncooperative, and at times, intentionally obstructive to the investigation."

"While the information Waller has provided various sources is limited, it is also contradictory and inconsistent," Humphreys wrote.

The day Jacque Waller disappeared, she and her husband met at attorney Jeffrey Dix's office to discuss their impending divorce, court records show. Dix told police Clay Waller "became agitated" during the meeting, Humphreys wrote.

In a diary found on her laptop, Jacque Waller wrote that Clay Waller had repeatedly threatened to kill her if she left him.

"I told him that I was going to file for divorce. He asked me if I had someone lined out to raise our kids. He also said that he had a feeling that one of us would not be around to watch our kids grow up," she wrote.

In July 2011, Clay Waller vehemently denied killing Jacque Waller in an interview with the Southeast Missourian. "I have not done anything," he said. "I miss my wife. I hope for a safe return."

Clay Waller and his attorneys declined to make any more public statements shortly after the interview.

Southeast Missourian reporter Erin Ragan contributed to this report.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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