Cape/Bollinger major case squad rarely used in missing person cases

In August 1994, James "Bud" Brown, 50, left his home in Jackson to meet a man who'd agreed to buy his Ford F-100 pickup. He never came back.

In 2002, Ralph L. Lape Jr., 54, was last seen by his family at a Fourth of July bash. Lape missed a bachelor party he said he'd attend and also missed an appointment to finalize the details on the sale of his home.

Sixteen days ago, Jacque Waller drove to Jackson to file for divorce from her estranged husband. She wanted to pick up her son and then return to her sister's place in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Waller never completed those tasks June 1 and she hasn't been seen since.

Jacque Waller

Only Waller's disappearance remains a mystery for the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad, which in 28 years has activated only three times to investigate a missing-person case. Formed in 1983, the squad consists of more than 30 investigators from multiple agencies and normally operates on murder cases. It's rare to be activated for a missing person case, Lt. David James, major case squad deputy commander, said Wednesday. But activation does happen -- typically when the team of investigators suspects foul play.

"Whenever the squad's activated, it is not taken lightly. These are manpower intensive cases," James said. "There has to be circumstances that indicate that it's unlikely for this person to voluntarily go missing."

The case squad consists of highly experienced investigators who can help cases by providing a quick, intensive response to serious crimes in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger Counties.

Following their instincts

Brown was a father, had a loving wife and had left to meet a man he'd never met. The case squad's instincts -- that foul play had a part in his disappearance -- was correct, too. Brown's body was found near Scott City, in a wooded area just beyond the Diversion Channel. He was shot seven times. His killer, Kenneth Bundy, who had taken Brown's truck and sold it for $3,000, was sentenced to life in prison after the family agreed on a plea bargain.

"Knowing the circumstances -- a man his age, lived here in town, you go with a guy to test drive a vehicle you're selling and never return -- it appeared foul play was possible. It turns out it was," James said. "In fact, one of my investigators and myself were the ones who actually found his body."

Lape, also a father, a brother, and friend to many, was characterized as someone who wouldn't just take off without telling anyone.

"He missed the closing of a loan for his house sale. People don't miss stuff like that," James said. "His case turned into a homicide investigation as well." While the case squad was still activated, Lape was found shot in the head and buried in a shallow grave near Portageville, Mo. Two men, Mark Gill and Justin Brown, were charged in connection with his death. Brown was sentenced to life in prison without parole and Gill was placed on death row in 2004 after a New Madrid County jury found him guilty of killing Lape. The Missouri Supreme Court overturned Gill's original death sentence in December 2009.

Lape's case was James' second with the squad as the team's commander.

"It's a daunting task to try to supervise that many people and that much information that comes in on cases," he said.

The case squad followed up on nearly 100 leads in Lape's case, linking Gill to the crime after tracking Lape's ATM and credit card usage. Gill was eventually tracked down in New Mexico.

Standing down

On Friday, leaders in the major case squad decided to stand down in the search for Waller, leaving the Jackson Police Department to take the lead in the investigation. The case squad announced less than a week after Waller was reported missing that they suspect foul play in her disappearance.

Despite deciding to disband, James said Wednesday the Cape Girardeau and Bollinger County sheriff's departments, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Southeast Missouri State University police and Cape Girardeau police are available to assist.

"We still want to get some answers for the family and that's what everyone's still trying to do," James said. "We just can't do it with all those resources. ... There are still other crimes."

Clay Waller, Jacque's estranged husband, was named as a person of interest, not a suspect, in her disappearance. There's been no evidence a crime was committed, James and other case squad investigators have said.

"We'd love to be able to have a case where we find the person and everything's all well, but that's not been the history of the major case squad," James said. "When it's activated it's usually because something bad has happened. I think of most of us feel something bad has happened to her."

ehevern@semissourian.com

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