Weldon says he doesn’t remember woman’s slaying
Last Modified: Friday, September 14, 2012 3:49 PM
By Johnathan Manning / American Press
DERIDDER — In a jailhouse interview conducted shortly after Kimberly Ann Stephens’ body was found in a vacant lot off Granberry Road, Billie Joe Weldon said he killed the 27-year-old woman, but said he did not remember the crime.
Weldon is on trial for second-degree murder in the death of Stephens, whose bruised body was found Aug. 26, 2009, three days after law enforcement officials say he killed her.
During the interview, shown Wednesday in court, Weldon admitted to a cocaine addiction, as well as an extramarital affair with Stephens. Prosecutors and defense counsel have said the two were in a relationship in which sex was exchanged for drugs.
Although he described to detectives how he had killed Stephens, he repeatedly said he did not remember doing it.
At one point, he was asked, “Do you really think you did this?”
“No,” he replied, “but I’ll sign anything you want,” if officers would put him in protective custody.
Weldon repeatedly said he wanted his family left alone and, as a former corrections officer, wanted to be put in protective custody while in jail.
Sitting with Laci Weldon, now his ex-wife, and Janet Beebe, a detective, Weldon said he and Stephens had stopped at the vacant lot on Granberry Road, where he was “snorting coke” and Stephens was “doing pills.”
He said she attempted to perform oral sex on him, but the cocaine had rendered him unable.
He said he changed his infant son’s diaper.
He said Stephens had been on the phone with another man and the “next thing” I’m on top of her. He said he got mad because “she started cussing me” and he felt used.
He said he looked down, saw the blood on his hands and “freaked out,” then dragged Stephens’ body behind a bush to hide it.
“So you really do remember this?” he was asked.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” he said.
When Beebe left the room during the taped interview, Billie Joe whispered to Laci Weldon, “I did that for you, I don’t remember killing her.”
Laci then asked him how he had made up the story “off the top” of his head.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” he said. “I think I did, I just don’t remember.”
Both Laci and Billie Joe remarked about their infant son’s diaper being found at the lot. Laci said she “puked” when she was shown a picture of the diaper.
“That’s the only thing that made me think I did it,” Billie Joe said.
Weldon also said the first time he heard about Stephens’ death was after returning home from a week of rehab. He said that officers told him they needed to speak to him about her and he thought she had been arrested on a drug charge. He said he found out she had been beaten to death when he was getting beaten up in jail.
On the stand Thursday, Beebe said she saw “no indication” of Weldon having been beaten up.
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