A Texas man told cops he shot his fiancee in the head with a shotgun and then lived with her rotting corpse for over a week, allegedly laying with it “for approximately three days” at one point before fleeing due to the odor, according to police.
“He wanted to lay with [the victim],” according to William Oddo III’s arrest affidavit, according to local Fox affiliate KDFW. Oddo allegedly told detectives this when asked why he cleaned the crime scene after shooting 39-year-old LaVera Wardell last month, according to the Denton Police Department.
Oddo, 52, claims Wardell attacked him with a knife while they were arguing, and he shot her in self-defense, according to the affidavit. He allegedly told detectives that he chose not to contact police because he “did not want to talk about the incident with anyone.”
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Authorities were dispatched to an apartment in the 5200 block of Par Drive on May 19 to conduct a welfare check after a caller reported a “very foul smell” coming from the residence, according to the affidavit. On May 6, witnesses reported seeing Oddo speaking with Wardell before she vanished.
A search warrant was later obtained, and when police entered the apartment, they discovered Wardell’s body, but Oddo was missing. Wardell appeared to have suffered a traumatic head injury, and police say Oddo shot her once with the shotgun.
Investigators discovered evidence at the scene indicating that someone attempted to remove blood from the floor and walls using cleaning supplies. KDFW reports that items were also discovered that were allegedly used to mask the smell.
“Detectives discovered that Wardell lived at the residence with her fiancé, 52-year-old William Joseph Oddo III,” Denton Police said in a statement. “During the investigation, detectives discovered evidence of Oddo purchasing and using cleaning supplies to tamper with the crime scene.”
Oddo was arrested on June 2 at a Mount Pleasant motel on a felony warrant for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He was eventually charged with murder and tampering with evidence.
When asked why he left the apartment, Oddo allegedly told detectives it was because of the smell. Cops believe Oddo murdered Wardell on May 6 and remained with her body until May 14, when witnesses noticed his car had vanished.
“It’s honestly heartbreaking,” a neighbor told KDFW. “I’m not sure how it was directly above the office. It’s the penthouse above the office, next to the gym.”
Oddo was booked into the Denton County Jail last week and bond was set at $160,000.
