James Thompson, (Hall County Department of Corrections, Courtesy)
GRAND ISLAND – An Ohio man was charged Thursday, June 20, with 11 felonies including first-degree murder in the stabbing death of a Missouri man and severe stabbing of his wife at the westbound Interstate 80 rest area at mile marker 316.
James D. Thompson, Jr., 22, of Elyria, Ohio, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, five counts of using a deadly weapon to commit a felony, first-degree assault, two counts of attempted robbery, and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest (willfully reckless).
He was attempting to steal a Jeep that was being pulled behind an RV camper.
At 7:08 a.m. June 19, Hall County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched to the rest area regarding a disturbance. Deputies contacted two victims at the scene who had been stabbed with a knife. Both were transported to Grand Island Regional hospital by ambulance.
Gary Weaver, 72, of Eureka, Mo., was pronounced dead at the hospital. His wife, Mary Weaver, 71, suffered life-threatening injuries and was in critical condition at the hospital, according to the Hall County Sheriff.
Hall County Judge Art Wetzel ordered that Thompson be held without bail. Hall County Attorney Marty Klein is prosecuting the case.
According to a probable cause statement from the Hall County Sheriff’s Department:
When deputies arrived at the rest area, they saw an RV camper parked on the south side of the rest area. A woman was sitting on the ground north of the camper with blood coming from the right side of her head. A male was observed in the camper. He was covered in blood and bleeding from his chest and head area. He was not responsive, and CPR was started.
A witness at the rest area advised that they “observed a male suspect attacking the male and female in the RV camper and just north of the RV camper with a knife.” A witness heard the suspect say, “Give me the Jeep keys.” One witness had the incident recorded on his dash cam video system. This video was retrieved, reviewed, and stored as evidence.
On the video, deputies observed the suspect entering the passenger side of the camper and making stabbing motions. The suspect then went out of view. Then the female enters the camera view and the suspect, coming from the camper, stabs her multiple times with a knife. At this point, the suspect started yelling at a witness who was in a semi-truck cab. The female stood up, and the suspect went back to the woman. He stabbed her in the side of the head, and she fell to the ground.
The suspect then left the scene in a white Ford Focus going westbound on Interstate 80. A Nebraska State Patrol trooper observed the suspect vehicle at Mile Marker 300. The suspect failed to stop at the exit stop sign and fail to signal a turn. The suspect vehicle continued northbound until it turned around in a farm entrance. This is where the trooper initiated a traffic stop using his overhead emergency lights.
The suspect vehicle had been going 120 mph over the Interstate 80 interchange and failed to stop for the trooper.
It was raining, and visibility was poor. The suspect vehicle “then wrecked and ended up in the Platte River. The suspect exited the vehicle and fled on foot.” The trooper was able to locate and apprehend the suspect a short distance away from the vehicle.
Upon arrest, a knife was found on Thompson with what appeared to be blood residue on it along with a blue shirt that had blood on it. Thompson had several cuts on his hand.
The trooper conducted a Miranda interview with Thompson. Thompson “admitted to stabbing both victims as he was attempting to steal the Jeep that was attached to the back of their camper.” Thompson also said that he was fleeing from the trooper’s traffic stop to avoid apprehension.
While processing the scene at the rest area, it was observed that the Jeep had been detached from the camper. “What appeared to be blood was observed on the outside of the Jeep.”
Thompson was transported to CHI-St. Francis for cuts on his hand and then taken to the Hall County Jail.
Thompson’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 9 in Hall County Courtroom 1.
