DENTON, Texas — A 52-year-old man was arrested after allegedly shooting his fiancée in the head and keeping her body in their apartment for over a week before fleeing because of the smell, police said.
Officers with the Denton Police Department responded to a welfare check at 1:23 p.m. on May 19 at an apartment on the 5200 block of Par Drive. Inside, they discovered the body of 39-year-old LaVera Wardell. Investigators determined she had been dead for several days.
The victim’s fiancé, William Joseph Oddo III, was not at the scene. Detectives later uncovered evidence that Oddo had purchased and used cleaning supplies in an attempt to alter the crime scene, leading to a felony warrant for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
On Monday, June 2, authorities located Oddo at a motel in Mount Pleasant and arrested him with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force and Mount Pleasant Police Department.
Following an interview with Denton detectives, an additional warrant was obtained charging Oddo with murder. He remains in custody at the City of Denton Jail. Bond has not yet been set.
Investigation ongoing as medical examiner reviews cause of death
As of Monday evening, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has not issued a ruling on the cause or manner of Wardell’s death. However, police say Oddo admitted to remaining with the body for several days before leaving due to what he described as a “very foul smell.”
Oddo also allegedly told detectives he “wanted to lay with” Wardell’s body following the shooting, according to information obtained during the investigation.
The incident has raised concerns among local residents in the Denton area, though police have said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Denton Police expressed gratitude for the multi-agency coordination that led to Oddo’s capture.
