AUBURN - Kerry Crosby of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office has filed an arrest affidavit in connection with the first degree murder charge against 36-year-old Joshua Keadle, who is reported to be the last person to see Peru State College student Tyler Thomas alive.
The affidavit says in the early morning hours of Dec. 3, 2010, Peru State College students Chloe Courtier and Jade Gordon reported that Ty Thomas was missing.
They had been in their dorm room around 1:25 a.m. when they received a text message that originated from a phone that belonged to Thomas.
The message asked “where are you at, I can’t find myself, I’m outside walking around.”
They were getting ready to leave the dorm room when a knock came on the door. It was Joshua Keadle in the doorway, asking “what’s cooking?”
When they said they were going to search for Thomas, he replied that he had just seen her walking near a parking lot north of the dormitory complex.
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Ty Thomas[/caption]
Courtier and Gordon told investigators they drove around Peru, but did not find Thomas.
They went to the residence of Shyriah Marshall, where Thomas had attended a party that night. They were told that Thomas walked away from the residence after getting into a “minor altercation” with Myneeka Childs.
The affidavit says Dana Dormer told investigators she was unable to persuade Thomas to return to the party and saw her walking toward campus.
Investigators report that Thomas had been in the company of Jade Gordon, Courtier, Ryan McClarty and others at what they called the “baseball house.” During the night on Dec. 2, the others walked across the alley to Shyriah’s residence.
They reported that when Thomas showed up at Shyriah’s residence she was angry that she had been left behind and there was an argument between her and Childs. Thomas left.
After she was reported missing, friends attempted to call her phone, but there was no answer. Phone records indicate a message at 1:28 a.m. to a friend of Thomas in Omaha.
The affidavit also says investigators interviewed student Jerica Benavides. She said she had attended a movie that night with Keadle in Nebraska City.
She said they picked up some marijuana in Peru and headed back to the dormitory complex. She said they saw Thomas walking on the sidewalk heading toward the dorm. Benavides said Keadle never came to her dorm as she expected.
Thomas lived in the same dorm complex with Courtier and Keadle.
The affidavit says Keadle was interviewed on multiple occasions.
The affidavit says Keadle initially admitted to seeing Thomas walking, but did not inform investigators that he had picked her up and went to the Missouri River with her.
In a Dec. 7 interview, Keadle first admitted to being with Thomas after he parted company with Benavides.
He said he stopped and she wanted a ride to Omaha.
He described his requests for sex in exchange for a ride to Omaha. He said Thomas refused, but relented to touching.
Investigators say Keadle told them that after the sexual contact, he told Thomas he had changed his mind and would not go to Omaha.
Keadle reported that Thomas threw her phone at him and would not get back in the car, so he drove away.
Investigators interviewed Jason Rodriquez who said he lived at the Baseball House. He said on Dec. 4 he saw Keadle at the student center and asked why he was so nervous. He said because he was being investigated for marijuana and had a “dirty gun” in his car.
Seth Sejkora, a roommate of Keadle, reported that when he returned to campus Keadle asked him to tell police they had been together the night of Dec. 2 and early morning of Dec. 3.
Nemaha County Deputy Kris Baker reported tire tracks near the Peru Boat Dock that appeared to be a vehicle backing up to the river. He said he observed other marks that appeared to be caused by something being dragged.
Investigators say statements from numerous sources, including family and Thomas’ friends, indicate that Thomas and Keadle did not like each other.
The affidavit says Keadle claims to have left her by the river in the early morning hours of Dec. 3, but did not alert those searching for her.
Ty Thomas[/caption]
Courtier and Gordon told investigators they drove around Peru, but did not find Thomas.
They went to the residence of Shyriah Marshall, where Thomas had attended a party that night. They were told that Thomas walked away from the residence after getting into a “minor altercation” with Myneeka Childs.
The affidavit says Dana Dormer told investigators she was unable to persuade Thomas to return to the party and saw her walking toward campus.
Investigators report that Thomas had been in the company of Jade Gordon, Courtier, Ryan McClarty and others at what they called the “baseball house.” During the night on Dec. 2, the others walked across the alley to Shyriah’s residence.
They reported that when Thomas showed up at Shyriah’s residence she was angry that she had been left behind and there was an argument between her and Childs. Thomas left.
After she was reported missing, friends attempted to call her phone, but there was no answer. Phone records indicate a message at 1:28 a.m. to a friend of Thomas in Omaha.
The affidavit also says investigators interviewed student Jerica Benavides. She said she had attended a movie that night with Keadle in Nebraska City.
She said they picked up some marijuana in Peru and headed back to the dormitory complex. She said they saw Thomas walking on the sidewalk heading toward the dorm. Benavides said Keadle never came to her dorm as she expected.
Thomas lived in the same dorm complex with Courtier and Keadle.
The affidavit says Keadle was interviewed on multiple occasions.
The affidavit says Keadle initially admitted to seeing Thomas walking, but did not inform investigators that he had picked her up and went to the Missouri River with her.
In a Dec. 7 interview, Keadle first admitted to being with Thomas after he parted company with Benavides.
He said he stopped and she wanted a ride to Omaha.
He described his requests for sex in exchange for a ride to Omaha. He said Thomas refused, but relented to touching.
Investigators say Keadle told them that after the sexual contact, he told Thomas he had changed his mind and would not go to Omaha.
Keadle reported that Thomas threw her phone at him and would not get back in the car, so he drove away.
