Man told witness not to worry about missing woman, laughed off question about death: Police

Authorities have detained two men connected to the case of a missing woman from Missouri who was eventually discovered deceased.

Billy Tabor, 70, and Colby Eisel, 39, faced charges of abandoning a corpse, and Tabor was further charged with first-degree murder.

This followed a statement from the Henry County Sheriff's Office linking both men to moving Janice Cook's remains, Cook being 43 years old.

Police noted Cook was reported missing on April 9 after her social media accounts went inactive since March 27.

According to documents detailing probable cause against Tabor, a witness claimed visiting Tabor's property early on March 28 and saw Cook lying lifeless on the ground. Tabor was allegedly seen "walking nervously in agitation."

The police report mentioned that Cook's car was found deserted on March 28, with her dog discovered a mile from its location.

Her close ones stated she would never leave her dog behind. Coupled with her abrupt social media silence, Cook's family grew worried about her disappearance.

The probable cause documents indicated that law enforcement inspected Cook's phone records, placing her last detected vicinity in Windsor, Missouri. Her last contact was with Tabor, a Windsor resident.

Authorities visited his home and questioned him regarding Cook. He acknowledged knowing her and confirmed her brief stay at his residence during the early morning on March 28. Tabor said she left after "a couple of hours" but was unclear on the exact time.

As the investigation unfolded, there were claims that Tabor had allegedly told another woman she "need not worry about J.J. anymore," using Cook's nickname. When asked about Cook's death, Tabor allegedly "laughed and walked away without an answer."

On April 30, information from a neighboring county reached the Henry County Sheriff's Office.

A witness was present at Tabor's home on the night Cook reportedly vanished. This witness told police he arrived at Tabor's residence at 2 a.m. on March 28, witnessed Tabor "walking nervously," and spotted Cook lying on the ground, presuming her to be dead.

The probable cause statement detailed that the witness saw Tabor obtain ropes, using them to tie Cook before attaching the other ends to a Honda CR-V, dragging her body further onto the property.

He reportedly shouted for the witness to assist in "digging a grave." Together, they allegedly dug a large hole, encased Cook in black fabric, and buried her.

The witness informed officers that Tabor allegedly "threatened to shoot him" if he refused to move Cook's car and belongings to Johnson County.

After Tabor gave the witness a ride back, the witness claimed observing a black revolver on the table. The probable cause documents also noted Tabor expressed frustrations toward Cook.

When officers questioned Tabor again, he chose to exercise his right to an attorney. Consequently, he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and abandoning a corpse.

The witness later led the police back to the site where he and Tabor allegedly buried Cook.

The Henry County Sheriff's Office announced via Facebook that human remains were recovered, believing them to be Cook's, pending confirmation from forensics, while they've already notified Cook's family.

Redacted probable cause statements shielded the witness's identity who directed police to Cook's body. Eisel faced abandonment of a corpse charges that same Friday.

Both Tabor and Eisel are held at Henry County Jail. Tabor remains without bond and is scheduled for a bond hearing on May 5. Eisel is on a $250,000 cash-only bond, though his next court date is currently unavailable.