Ohio Man Accused of Fatally Stabbing Elderly Man, Injuring Victim's Wife at Nebraska Rest Stop
James Thompson Jr. was allegedly trying to rob the couple when the stabbings took place, witnesses told police.
Jun. 27 2024, Published 10:02 a.m. ET
A man from Ohio has been arrested after he allegedly fatally stabbed a 72-year-old man and injured his 71-year-old wife at a rest stop in Nebraska, according to authorities.
Around 7 a.m. on June 19, deputies responded to a disturbance call at a rest area on Interstate 80, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Department.
Once at the scene, officers found Mary Weaver sitting on the ground outside an RV camper with blood coming from the right side of her head, according to court documents obtained by KSNB.
Meanwhile, her husband, Gary Weaver, was found inside the RV bleeding from his chest and head, officials said.
Medics transported the couple to a nearby hospital, where the husband died from his injuries. Officials say the wife was last listed in stable condition.
A witness told police they heard the suspect, 22-year-old James Thompson Jr., say “give me the Jeep keys.” The witness also claimed the suspect went into the RV and then later allegedly assault the wife outside the RV, police said.
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Authorities were able to obtain dashcam from a nearby semi trailer, which allegedly showed Thompson going inside the RV and making a stabbing motion before going out of view. Thompson was later seen outside the RV stabbing the wife in the side of the head, according to police.
Thompson fled the scene in a white Ford Focus, but after a high-speed chase, the suspect drove his car into the nearby Platte River and ran from officers, law enforcement officials said. He was arrested a short distance away.
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Thompson was charged with murder, attempted murder, assault, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, two counts of attempted robbery, and five counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, authorities said.
He was booked into Hall County Detention Center, where he was being held without bond. His next court date is scheduled for July 9.
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