COURTS: SCOTT BIGGS TESTIFIES AGAINST COUSIN AT HEARING

BENTON, Mo. -- A 32-year-old Cape Girardeau man accused of murder said he may have had the idea to kill his 57-year-old lover, but it was his cousin who hit her several times in the head with a hatchet.

Charles "Scott" Biggs waived his own preliminary hearing Wednesday in the killing of Willie Mae Vasquez to testify against Gary W. Biggs, 36, of Scott City, Mo.

Both men are charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Vasquez, whose body was found Aug. 9 in a shallow grave in Scott County near the Mississippi River.

During cross-examination by his cousin's attorney, Scott Biggs said he hoped to face a lesser charge of second-degree murder in exchange for his testimony.

Both men were bound over for arraignment on Dec. 14.

During his cousin's preliminary hearing, Scott Biggs described how his friendship with Vasquez in 1997 evolved into a sexual relationship that eventually became his motive for wanting to kill her.

Discussion of killing

The two cousins were fishing at a sandbar on the river on July 26 when talk about killing started, Scott Biggs said. They had drunk several beers in four hours when their talk turned to killing.

"Basically what he asked is could I kill somebody," Scott Biggs said.

After more beer, Scott Biggs said he brought up the idea of killing Vasquez so that their one-year sexual relationship wouldn't be discovered by his girlfriend in Cape Girardeau.

Other relatives had teased him about spending time with Vasquez, Scott Biggs said.

As the two initially discussed killing Vasquez, Gary Biggs' only comment was that he wanted to watch.

Prior to the murder, Gary Biggs had one confrontation with Vasquez, Scott Biggs said. As the two drove to Vasquez's house last April, Scott Biggs said his cousin told him he would try to get Vasquez to engage in oral sex. Scott Biggs said the idea didn't bother him.

When Scott Biggs left the two in the house to get beer from his truck, he came back to hear Vasquez threatening to call the police. Only on a later visit did Vasquez explain that at the time Gary Biggs was grabbing her and she had slapped him, Scott Biggs testified.

Along with his cousin, Gary Biggs went to his mother's house on the afternoon of July 26 to get a shovel and a hatchet.

Found place for burial

The men returned to the river to find a place to bury Vasquez prior to killing her, Scott Biggs said. They had considered throwing her body in the river, but decided that the current could wash it back to shore.

After finding a dry spot near riverside trails used by dirt bikes and four-wheelers, the cousins dug a shallow grave, Scott Biggs said.

He went to Vasquez's house, honked his horn and asked her if she wanted to go fishing. Vasquez got into the truck and they went to the river where Scott Biggs signaled his cousin, he said.

As the couple went along a path, Scott Biggs noticed his cousin hiding in bushes.

"The next thing I heard was like a .22 going off," he said.

He turned to see Gary Biggs standing over Vasquez with the hatchet. Gary Biggs threw the hatchet on the ground and told his cousin to pick it up and hit her.

"Then he told me if I didn't hit her, I'd be lying beside her," Scott Biggs said.

He said he struck Vasquez once, then Gary Biggs hit her in the head several more times.

The two men dragged her body to the grave they had dug.

Before leaving, they swept away their tracks and covered the blood-stained ground.