News

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Monday, March 18, 2024

Zanesville Woman Who Faked Home Invasion, Killed Boyfriend Pleads Guilty

A Zanesville woman who shot herself with a gun to fake a home invasion and cover up a murder admitted her crimes in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court.

Deborah L. Frazier, age 36, of Zanesville appeared before Common Pleas Judge Mark C. Fleegle on March 18, pleading guilty to murder with a firearm specification, tampering with evidence, and gross abuse of a corpse.

On August 10, 2023, law enforcement authorities responded to a 911 call from Frazier, who claimed to have been shot in the leg by two burglars leaving the apartment of her boyfriend. Thomas Waddell. Waddell’s corpse was found by authorities in a back room of his apartment, wrapped in a blanket and a garbage bag and secured with duct tape.

Despite Frazier’s claims that she entered the apartment to find intruders in the place, nothing of any value was missing, including numerous firearms owned by Waddell. Additionally, no video footage of the supposed intruders’ exit was caught by nearby home security cameras or security cameras owned by nearby businesses.

An autopsy determined Waddell had been killed more than 12 hours before Frazier made the 911 call, and forensic searches of Frazier’s internet browsing history revealed numerous searches for information about loading and firing firearms.

Investigators also discovered that Frazier had another boyfriend, and that the boyfriend had been posing as a bank fraud investigator and calling Waddell. This led investigators to conclude that Frazier’s motive was financial in nature.

Ultimately, investigators determined the boyfriend, who gave Frazier rides the night of the killing, had no idea that Frazier was in a relationship with Waddell, and had been manipulated by her into making the phone calls.

For a complete explanation of the facts, please see the Statement of Facts from the plea attached to this release.

Muskingum County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch says he’s pleased with the Prosecutor’s Office ability to secure justice for victims and make the community safer.

“The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office continues to achieve excellent results in prosecuting murder cases,” Prosecutor Welch said. “While some counties have multi-year delays in prosecuting cases, numerous not-guilty verdicts, and plea agreements resulting in greatly reduced charges; Muskingum County has maintained a level of success resulting in both swift and fair justice.”

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle says the caliber of Muskingum County law enforcement authorities’ investigative work is “rock solid.”

“I think the public would be surprised to know the horsepower we have in terms of investigating crime in this county,” Litle said. “This is a rock-solid investigation by a seasoned detective in a detective bureau that is firing on all cylinders. I’m proud to be a part of this prosecution, and I know Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Anderson would say the same.”

Litle says Frazier deserves every day of her prison sentence.

“Frazier deserves and will serve a life sentence for her crime,” Litle said. “This plea allows her to accept responsibility and eliminates the risks associated with a trial on the horrific and tabloid-esque facts of this case.”

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