07-22-2011, 08:00 AM
Friday, July 22, 2011 Southeast Missourian
There have been mumblings for weeks that blood was found somewhere in the house where Clay Waller was staying at the time of his wife's disappearance.
On Thursday, Jacque Sue Waller's father said rumors of blood are true.
"I've seen it," said Stan Rawson, a former deputy sheriff and police officer in the St. Louis area. "But that's all I'm going to confirm. There's a ton of evidence. ... Just suffice to say there is blood evidence. I saw the evidence bags."
When prodded, Rawson -- who met with law enforcement again Wednesday to discuss the case -- also acknowledged that the blood was found in the Jackson house where Waller was staying. Rawson wouldn't elaborate further, he said, for fear of compromising the investigation into his daughter's June 1 disappearance.
The 39-year-old mother of triplets was last seen at the house in Jackson where her husband, Clay Waller, was staying, though he has since moved. Her SUV was found abandoned near Fruitland along Interstate 55 with a flat tire. On July 13, an area resident found her business cards near a mailbox along Highway 177, fewer than 10 miles from where her vehicle was found.
Police have called Clay Waller a person of interest in the disappearance and said that they suspect foul play.
Waller's lawyer, Scott Reynolds, wouldn't say whether he had any knowledge of blood evidence. But even if there was, Reynolds said, it doesn't prove anything.
"If that's true, why are police still stating that Clay is not a suspect?" Reynolds said. "If they have that evidence, it's amazing he's still not listed as a suspect. Police have also said that they have no evidence that a crime has been committed."
If the evidence does exist, it may or may not be relevant, Reynolds said, adding that just knowing that there was blood raises more questions than it answers: "How much blood? Whose blood? How long had it been there? A few drops? A couple pints? And why would someone not clean it up if a crime had been committed?"
There have been mumblings for weeks that blood was found somewhere in the house where Clay Waller was staying at the time of his wife's disappearance.
On Thursday, Jacque Sue Waller's father said rumors of blood are true.
"I've seen it," said Stan Rawson, a former deputy sheriff and police officer in the St. Louis area. "But that's all I'm going to confirm. There's a ton of evidence. ... Just suffice to say there is blood evidence. I saw the evidence bags."
When prodded, Rawson -- who met with law enforcement again Wednesday to discuss the case -- also acknowledged that the blood was found in the Jackson house where Waller was staying. Rawson wouldn't elaborate further, he said, for fear of compromising the investigation into his daughter's June 1 disappearance.
The 39-year-old mother of triplets was last seen at the house in Jackson where her husband, Clay Waller, was staying, though he has since moved. Her SUV was found abandoned near Fruitland along Interstate 55 with a flat tire. On July 13, an area resident found her business cards near a mailbox along Highway 177, fewer than 10 miles from where her vehicle was found.
Police have called Clay Waller a person of interest in the disappearance and said that they suspect foul play.
Waller's lawyer, Scott Reynolds, wouldn't say whether he had any knowledge of blood evidence. But even if there was, Reynolds said, it doesn't prove anything.
"If that's true, why are police still stating that Clay is not a suspect?" Reynolds said. "If they have that evidence, it's amazing he's still not listed as a suspect. Police have also said that they have no evidence that a crime has been committed."
If the evidence does exist, it may or may not be relevant, Reynolds said, adding that just knowing that there was blood raises more questions than it answers: "How much blood? Whose blood? How long had it been there? A few drops? A couple pints? And why would someone not clean it up if a crime had been committed?"