Suspect Says Homicide Victim Hurt Family
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An eastern Missouri truck driver accused of helping to kill a drifter said he became embroiled in a drug scheme with the victim when the family fell on hard times while caring for a gravely ill child.
But in a series of interviews with The Associated Press, murder suspect Chester "C.J." Harvey Jr. said it was an alleged attack on his wife and three of his five sons -- not drugs -- that led to the death of James William Boyd McNeely. The body of the 20-year-old was found Dec. 22 in the refrigerated compartment of Harvey's rig.
"That man will never hurt another child," Harvey said in one of the interviews. "And as far as I'm concerned, that's a great thing."
Harvey, his wife, Angela, and three of his sons -- ages 19, 16 and 14 -- face first-degree murder charges in Audrain County Circuit Court. Three other men have been charged as accomplices with kidnapping McNeely.
However, Harvey repeatedly insisted his wife and the two younger boys are innocent in the killing, which he said was part of an "unbelievable" story spanning multiple states and including others who have yet to be charged.
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The 38-year-old Harvey said he met McNeely in November at a Charleston, Tenn., truck stop and gave him a ride after the younger man told him he was hitchhiking across the country to meet a toddler son whom he claimed he had just learned about. Relatives of McNeely have said he had a son during a brief marriage and knew of his birth.
Harvey said that while helping McNeely get closer to his destination of Columbus, Ohio, the conversation shifted to drugs, with McNeely talking about the chance to earn big money.
Harvey, who said he had dabbled in drugs, was desperate for cash. He already had filed for bankruptcy as his wife cared full-time for their 9-year-old son who required daily dialysis.
To make ends meet, Harvey had been making it look like his wife, also a licensed trucker, was operating his rig part of the time. That allowed him to skirt federal limits on how many hours drivers can spend on the road and go as far as "my body would allow," he said.
more here
http://www.kmbc.com/news/22476655/detail.html
I fail to see how he thinks he can justify torturing & murdering McNeely. ugh.
An 18-year-old Missouri man will serve 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to his role in the killing of an Ohio drifter.
Ethan Harvey pleaded guilty Monday in Audrain County Circuit Court...
[H]is younger brother Jordan was sentenced to 15 years, but execution was suspended.
Angela Harvey, 36, blew a kiss goodbye to members of her family seated in the gallery as she was escorted out of a Boone County courtroom Monday to begin serving a life sentence for her part in the murder of an Ohio drifter.
Harvey's defense attorney, Ray Legg, and Audrain County Chief Prosecutor Jacob Shellabarger negotiated a plea agreement that resulted in Harvey pleading guilty to second-degree murder...
Both Chester Harvey Jr. and Chad Harvey pleaded guilty for their roles in the murder. Chester Harvey Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, 30 years for armed criminal action, 15 years for kidnapping and terrorizing, life for another count of kidnapping and four years for the abandonment of a corpse. Chad Harvey was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder, 15 years for kidnapping and four years for abandonment of a corpse.