Background: The Henry County Sheriff's Office in Clinton, Mo. (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Billy Tabor, Janice Cook, and Colby Eisel (Henry County Sheriff's Office).
Two men have been arrested in connection with the case of a missing Missouri woman who was later found dead.
Billy Tabor, 70, and Colby Eisel, 39, were both charged with abandonment of a corpse and Tabor was charged with first-degree murder after authorities with the Henry County Sheriff's Office said both men were involved in moving the body of 43-year-old Janice Cook. Police said Cook was reported missing on April 9 when her social media activity went dark after March 27.
According to a probable cause statement for Tabor, a witness told police that he went to Tabor's property during the early morning hours of March 28 and saw Cook lying on the ground. Tabor was reportedly "pacing back and forth in an agitated state."
Police wrote that Cook's vehicle was found abandoned on March 28, and her dog was found a mile away from the same location. Her friends and family told police that she would never abandon her dog. Along with the sudden silence on her social media accounts, Cook's family became concerned about her absence.
According to the probable cause statement, police investigated Cook's phone records and found that her last known location was in Windsor, Missouri. The last person she had contacted was Tabor, who lived in Windsor. Police went to Tabor's residence and questioned him about Cook. He said he knew the missing woman and confirmed that she had been at his residence for a short time during the early morning hours of March 28. Tabor told police that she left after a "couple of hours," but could not provide an exact time.
As police investigated further, they heard that Tabor had allegedly told an unnamed woman that she "would not have to worry about J.J. anymore," referring to Cook by her nickname. When he was asked if he killed Cook, Tabor allegedly "laughed and walked away without providing a response."
On April 30, the Henry County Sheriff's Office received information from a neighboring county that a witness was also at Tabor's home on the night Cook allegedly went missing. The witness told police that he showed up at Tabor's residence at 2 a.m. on March 28 and saw Tabor "pacing back and forth in an agitated state." He then saw Cook lying on the ground "and believed her to be deceased."
According to the probable cause statement, the witness said Tabor got ropes and tied them to Cook. He then allegedly tied the other end of the ropes to a Honda CR-V, which he used to drag Cook's body farther down the property. Tabor allegedly yelled to the witness to come down to where he was to help him "dig a grave." The two men allegedly dug a large hole, wrapped Cook's body in black fabric, and buried her in the hole.
The witness told police that Tabor allegedly "threatened to shoot him" if he did not move Cook's vehicle along with her belongings to Johnson County. After Tabor picked the witness up and brought him back to his home, the witness said he saw a black revolver on the table. According to the probable cause statement, Tabor made comments to the witness indicating that he had been frustrated with Cook.
Police questioned Tabor again on Friday, and he invoked his right to counsel. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse.
The witness later brought police back to the property to show them where he and Tabor allegedly buried Cook's body. The Henry County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that human remains were recovered, and they believed they belonged to Cook. They stated that they were still waiting for confirmation through forensic testing but had made contact with Cook's family.
The probable cause statement was redacted and did not include the name of the witness who led police to Cook's remains. On Friday, Eisel was charged with abandonment of a corpse.
Both Tabor and Eisel are being held at the Henry County Jail. Tabor is being held without bond and is scheduled for a bond hearing on May 5. Eisel is being held on $250,000 cash-only bond. His next court date was not available.