After shooting his fiancée in the head with a shotgun, a guy from Texas reportedly lived with her decaying body for more than a week, sleeping with it “for approximately three days” at one point before running away because of the stench, authorities said.
According to William Oddo III’s arrest affidavit, Denton Police claim that “he wanted to lay with [the victim].”
According to the Denton Police Department, Oddo allegedly said this to investigators when they questioned him about why he cleaned the crime scene after shooting 39-year-old LaVera Wardell last month.
According to the affidavit, Oddo, 52, says he shot Wardell in self-defense after she swung a knife at him during an argument. He allegedly informed officers that he “did not want to talk about the incident with anyone,” which is why he decided not to call the police.
According to the affidavit, on May 19, authorities were called to a property in the 5200 block of Par Drive to perform a welfare check after a caller complained of a “very foul smell” emanating from the flat. Before Wardell vanished on May 6, witnesses said they saw Oddo talking to her.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers entered the flat and found Wardell’s body, but Oddo was not there. According to police, Oddo shot Wardell once with the shotgun, causing what appeared to be a catastrophic head injury.
At the scene, investigators discovered indications that someone attempted to remove blood from the walls and floor using cleaning materials. Additionally, objects that were purportedly used to cover up the odor were found.
“Detectives learned that Wardell lived at the residence with her fiancé, 52-year-old William Joseph Oddo III,” Denton Police stated in a press release. “During the investigation, detectives discovered evidence of Oddo purchasing and using cleaning supplies to tamper with the crime scene.”
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On June 2, Oddo was apprehended by authorities at a Mount Pleasant motel on a felony warrant for tampering with or manipulating physical evidence. Later on, he was accused of both murder and evidence tampering.
Oddo allegedly informed detectives that the scent was the reason he fled the flat. Oddo killed Wardell on May 6, according to police, and remained with her body until May 14, when witnesses noticed that his car was missing.
“It’s honestly heartbreaking,” according to a neighbor. “I don’t know how it was right above the office. It’s the penthouse above the office and right next to the gym.”
Oddo’s bond was set at $160,000 when he was arrested last week and taken to the Denton County Jail.
