A Texas man allegedly cleaned up after shooting his fiancé so he could “lay” with her for days following her death.
Joseph Oddo III, 52, faces charges of murder and tampering with evidence in connection to the May shooting of his fiancé, 39-year-old LaVera Wardell, according to police. Officers arrested Oddo III after a report about a strong odor coming from the couple’s apartment.
Court documents reveal that Oddo allegedly shot Wardell on May 6. Police didn’t discover her body until May 19, Fox News reported.
According to the station, Oddo told authorities he cleaned up the scene because he “wanted to lay with” Wardell.
When police arrived on May 19, they found Wardell’s body, but Oddo had already fled. Officers arrested him on June 2 at a motel, police said.
Fox News reported that Oddo claimed the shooting happened during an argument. According to Oddo, the argument became physical, and when Wardell charged at him with a knife, he shot her. Surveillance footage showed Oddo buying cleaning supplies on May 13—one week after the shooting.
Police told Fox News the residence had a history of domestic-related calls.
