KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Henry County, Missouri, Prosecutor's Office filed charges against two people in connection with the alleged murder of a woman whose disappearance was being investigated.
Billy Ray Tabor, 70, of Windsor, Missouri, is charged with first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. Colby Dean Eisel, 39, also of Windsor, is charged with abandonment of a corpse.
The Henry County Sheriff's Office and partnering agencies have been investigating Janice Cook's disappearance, which was reported in early April, and her suspected homicide.
Cook was last known to be in an area between Leeton and Windsor on the morning of March 28, and her abandoned vehicle was later found in rural Johnson County, Missouri, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.
Police's investigation revealed Cook was at Tabor's residence, located in the 1200 block of NE 731 Private Road in Windsor, before she went missing.
As investigation efforts continued, detectives obtained evidence and witness statements that indicated Cook had been murdered and her body was hidden on the property.
Tabor claimed Cook was only at his residence for a short time and mentioned she was potentially going to the Leeton area, a court document said.
On Thursday, a man interviewed by detectives claimed he arrived at Tabor's house around 2 a.m. on March 28 and saw a woman he thought was dead on the ground. He also saw Tabor "pacing back and forth in an agitated state.
The man then told police Tabor tied ropes around the woman and dragged her body with a vehicle to a different part of the property. Tabor then yelled for the man to join him, and the two dug a grave and placed her into it, per a probable cause statement filed in the case.
During an interview with detectives Friday, Tabor denied any involvement in what allegedly occurred March 28.
During a search warrant execution on Thursday and Friday, recovery operations of a deceased individual, believed to be Cook, were conducted, per the sheriff's office.
Police said forensic processing to get a 100% positive identification is underway, and the investigation is ongoing.
Tabor is being held on a no-bond warrant, and Eisel is being held on a $250,000 cash-only bond. Both Tabor and Eisel are being held at the Henry County Detention Center.
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