Murder suspect told father he feared victim would kill him

The father of a Zalma, Missouri, murder suspect told police his son shot Kenneth Willard because he feared Willard was setting him up to kill him, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed Monday in connection with the case.

Russell Mayberry, 30, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Willard, 53, whose body was recovered Jan. 24 from the Black River in Wayne County, Missouri. Willard had been shot to death with a small-caliber gun.

His father, Roger Mayberry, 59, also of Zalma, faces charges of evidence tampering and hindering prosecution in the case.

Roger Mayberry

Roger Mayberry told police he helped his son load Willard's body onto a trailer and dump it in the river the day of the shooting, officer J.L. Weadon of the Missouri State Highway Patrol wrote in the affidavit.

Roger Mayberry told Sgt. J.S. Stoelting of the Missouri State Highway Patrol he was working on a saw mill when his son and Willard drove up in his truck and began helping him, Weadon wrote.

While they were working, Roger Mayberry heard a gunshot and saw Willard was dead, Weadon wrote.

"Roger said he asked his son Russell why did he kill Kenny, and he said it was either him or me," Weadon wrote. "Russell told Roger he felt like Kenny was setting him up to kill him, and it was all over dope."

Roger Mayberry told police he felt sick after the shooting and went home, where Brandi Mayberry, Russell Mayberry's wife, arrived a short time later, asking for help, Weadon wrote.

Roger and Brandi Mayberry returned to the mill, where Willard's body was wrapped in a tarp on the ground at the back of an enclosed trailer, Weadon wrote.

Roger Mayberry said he helped load the body into the trailer, and he, Russell and Brandi Mayberry returned home. He told police a little later, his son picked him up, and they took Roger Mayberry's truck and trailer to the Black River Bridge near Williamsville, Missouri, where they dumped Willard's body into the river, Weadon wrote.

Roger Mayberry told police he owned the .22-caliber revolver his son used to kill Willard, but he did not know what happened to the weapon after the shooting, Weadon wrote.

He also told police Willard did not have a gun and had not had any type of altercation with Russell Mayberry before the shooting, Weadon wrote.

Willard had left his home in Bismarck, Missouri, on Oct. 22 to go deer hunting at his family farm on State Highway V in Stoddard County, Missouri.

Financial records showed he last used his debit card Oct. 28, according to the affidavit.

On Nov. 8, less than two weeks after Willard's last debit-card transaction, Russell Mayberry was charged with driving on a revoked license. A probable-cause affidavit filed in connection with that case identified Brandi Mayberry as Russell's wife.

The day Willard left for his hunting trip, Russell Mayberry pleaded guilty to DWI, careless and imprudent driving and marijuana possession, online court records show. He was fined $200 for the marijuana possession charge and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation, 40 hours of community service and a two-year supervised substance abuse program for the other charges.

Online court records show no prior offenses for Roger Mayberry.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Brandi Mayberry had not been charged in connection with Willard's death.

Bond for Russell Mayberry was set at $500,000 cash only. Bond for Roger Mayberry was set at $25,000 cash only.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Zalma, MO

Wayne County, MO