Woman shoots and kills ex, second man helped her dispose of body on side of highway, cops say

A Missouri woman allegedly shot and killed her ex-boyfriend and then, with the help of a second man, disposed of his naked body on the side of the road, police say.

On Dec. 15, police said a body was found next to County Road 187 in Dade County, Missouri.

According to authorities, the nude body was face down next to the east side of the road.

Officials used fingerprint identification to determine the man’s identity as 59-year-old Billy Mack Walker, the Branson Tri-Lakes News reported. An autopsy was completed and confirmed Walker died of homicide.

On Dec. 16, police said they went to the home of 58-year-old Sheila Rennee Phillips, who claimed she was Walker’s ex-girlfriend. Officers determined Walker was still living in the home with his ex.

Authorities said Phillips shot Walker inside their home and then she asked 55-year-old Gerald Keith Hoffman to help her dispose of the body.

On Jan. 13, Hoffman was interviewed by police and said he shot Walker three times with a .22 caliber gun while he was sitting in a chair in the living room. From there, he claimed they wrapped Walker’s body in a blanket and took him “to a gravel road by Stockton Lake” and dumped him on the side of the road, the Branson Tri-Lakes News reported.

After returning to her home, the duo burned Walker’s clothes, the blanket they used and the chair he was sitting in when he died, police said.

Police then interviewed Phillips and she admitted to helping dispose of Walker’s body.

Both the suspects were initially arrested and charged with two counts of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution, officials said. Despite Hoffman admitting to shooting Walker, no murder charges were filed at the time.

On Jan. 14, Hoffman spoke to investigators again, and this time he said Phillips came to him and asked for his help. They went to her residence, which is when she told him she shot Walker, authorities said. He then saw Walker’s body inside the residence. Hoffman admitted to helping dispose of the body and destroy evidence, police said.

On the same day, Phillips made two phone calls from the Stone County Jail and she said she was “not going to allow someone else to suffer for something she had done,” the Branson Tri-Lakes News reported.

On Jan. 18, officials amended the charges against Phillips and added a charge of first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Both Hoffman and Phillips remain in Stone County Jail and are being held without bond.