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Background: The Henry County Sheriff”s Office in Clinton, Mo. (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Billy Tabor, Janice Cook, and Colby Eisel (Henry County Sheriff’s Office).
Authorities have arrested two men in connection with the disappearance and death of a Missouri woman, whose body was recently discovered. Billy Tabor, 70, and Colby Eisel, 39, face charges related to the case. Tabor has been charged with first-degree murder and both men have been charged with abandonment of a corpse following the death of 43-year-old Janice Cook, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.
Cook was reported missing on April 9 after she stopped engaging with her social media accounts on March 27. A probable cause statement reveals that a witness saw Cook on Tabor’s property in the early hours of March 28, lying on the ground while Tabor appeared agitated, pacing back and forth.
On the same day, Cook’s abandoned vehicle was discovered, and her dog was found approximately a mile away from the car. Friends and family expressed concern, noting that Cook would never willingly leave her dog behind. Coupled with her abrupt silence on social media, these signs heightened worries about her well-being.
Police investigations into Cook’s phone records indicated her last known location was in Windsor, Missouri, and the final person she contacted was Tabor, a resident of the area. When questioned by authorities, Tabor acknowledged that Cook had visited his home briefly in the early morning of March 28. He claimed she left after a few hours, although he was unable to specify the exact time of her departure.
According to the probable cause statement, police investigated Cook’s phone records and found that her last known location was in Windsor, Missouri. The last person she had contacted was Tabor, who lived in Windsor. Police went to Tabor’s residence and questioned him about Cook. He said he knew the missing woman and confirmed that she had been at his residence for a short time during the early morning hours of March 28. Tabor told police that she left after a “couple of hours,” but could not provide an exact time.
As police investigated further, they heard that Tabor had allegedly told an unnamed woman that she “would not have to worry about J.J. anymore,” referring to Cook by her nickname. When he was asked if he killed Cook, Tabor allegedly “laughed and walked away without providing a response.”
On April 30, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received information from a neighboring county that a witness was also at Tabor’s home on the night Cook allegedly went missing. The witness told police that he showed up at Tabor’s residence at 2 a.m. on March 28 and saw Tabor “pacing back and forth in an agitated state.” He then saw Cook lying on the ground “and believed her to be deceased.”
According to the probable cause statement, the witness said Tabor got ropes and tied them to Cook. He then allegedly tied the other end of the ropes to a Honda CR-V, which he used to drag Cook’s body farther down the property. Tabor allegedly yelled to the witness to come down to where he was to help him “dig a grave.” The two men allegedly dug a large hole, wrapped Cook’s body in black fabric, and buried her in the hole.
The witness told police that Tabor allegedly “threatened to shoot him” if he did not move Cook’s vehicle along with her belongings to Johnson County. After Tabor picked the witness up and brought him back to his home, the witness said he saw a black revolver on the table. According to the probable cause statement, Tabor made comments to the witness indicating that he had been frustrated with Cook.
Police questioned Tabor again on Friday, and he invoked his right to counsel. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse.
The witness later brought police back to the property to show them where he and Tabor allegedly buried Cook’s body. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that human remains were recovered, and they believed they belonged to Cook. They stated that they were still waiting for confirmation through forensic testing but had made contact with Cook’s family.
The probable cause statement was redacted and did not include the name of the witness who led police to Cook’s remains. On Friday, Eisel was charged with abandonment of a corpse.
Both Tabor and Eisel are being held at the Henry County Jail. Tabor is being held without bond and is scheduled for a bond hearing on May 5. Eisel is being held on $250,000 cash-only bond. His next court date was not available.