Ohio woman pleads guilty to killing boyfriend, faked home invasion by shooting self: Docs

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — An Ohio woman pleaded guilty to a scheme that involved killing her boyfriend and then shooting herself in the leg while on the phone with 911 the next day.

Deborah Frazier, 36, pleaded guilty to murder, tampering with evidence, and gross abuse of a corpse for the death of her boyfriend, Thomas Waddell.

Waddell’s corpse was found on August 10, 2023, in the back room of his apartment, wrapped in a blanket and a garbage bag and secured with duct tape.

Police arrived after Frazier called 911, pretending there were masked men in the house. She said she had arrived to find the door open with the place ransacked.

Dispatchers heard a gunshot, and Frazier screamed that she had been shot, according to a statement of facts in the plea agreement.

She had a gunshot wound to her leg when officers arrived, and a .22 revolver was sitting on the ground next to her.

Detectives with the Zanesville Police Department noted nothing was missing, and Waddell did not have a prior history of drugs or crimes that might lead to a break-in.

A detective went to the hospital to test for gunshot residue. The statement of facts said, "The purpose of the test, as GSR, would be present on any person who was shot, but a guilty person might change their story if they thought forensic evidence was going to expose them."

Police said she changed her story to touching the gun that shot her.

A forensic pathologist concluded Waddell had been dead within about four hours of 9 p.m. on Aug. 9, the day before Frazier called 911.

The statement of facts details an elaborate plan, including creating a fake account claiming to be a fraud claims specialist for the bank at which Waddell and Frazier shared a bank account. The account was drawn down to $2,000.

She reportedly told her other boyfriend that she was a live-in nurse for Waddell, who she claimed had dementia. She requested her other boyfriend leave a voicemail for Waddell pretending to be an agent from the bank. She also had him drive her around the county in the evening on Aug. 9.

Frazier’s phone held deleted searches for the bank's logo and information on bank fraud. She also searched for "how to load a revolver," "what does 22 ammo look like," and "worst place to get hit on the head."

Prosecutors wrote that she previously made up claims about being attacked in 2014. With the evidence gathered, police narrowed the suspect in the killing down to Frazier, who police believe acted alone and manipulated others to further her plot.

“Frazier deserves and will serve a life sentence for her crime,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle said. “This plea allows her to accept responsibility and eliminates the risks associated with a trial on the horrific and tabloid-esque facts of this case.”