A Missouri woman allegedly claimed she was in the shower when four male attackers killed her 80-year-old stepfather, but deputies claim she was completely dry and had shampoo applied to her dry hair.
Authorities said her story changed multiple times until she eventually refused to answer questions at the sheriff’s department.
Rejeane “Regina” N. Redmon, 27, was arrested Friday night in Cole County for murder in the first degree, armed criminal action, and tampering with physical evidence.
It happened in the 3200 block of Landing Creek Road, according to the statement of probable cause. Deputies said they arrived to find her 80-year-old stepfather, a resident of the home, on the kitchen floor “with obvious stab and slash wounds to his neck and body.”
Rejeane “Regina” N. Redmon. (Mug shot: Cole County Sheriff’s Department)
Paramedics declared him dead at the scene, his body cool to the touch, suggesting he’d been dead for several hours.
There was a mop and bucket next to him. Investigators said someone had tried to clean up the blood before law enforcement found the body.
Redmon was allegedly home alone with her stepfather before the incident. Investigators claim she gave them multiple versions of what happened leading up to her stepfather’s death.
In one of the versions, she said she was in the shower when she heard four male voices and later saw someone wearing a black mask in the home, deputies said.
In another version, she allegedly said one of the unknown attackers told her to stay in the bedroom and not step out.
“Throughout the interview, she continuously changed her story as to whether or not she saw any of the assailants,” authorities wrote.
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She said at some point, she stepped out of the shower and tried to save her stepfather’s neck by putting a garment over the wound in his neck “prior to seeking help and/or calling 911,” the document stated.
“The garment was eventually recovered, and the pour pattern suggested that bleach was poured on it while it was on the decedent’s neck,” authorities said.
Deputies said they found blood on the suspect’s hands, face, legs and arms, and apparent blood spatter on her face.
“When first encountered on-scene, Redmon was dry and was fully dressed; she had globs of semi-dried shampoo in her hair which she continuously pointed out during her interactions with law enforcement as proof that she had been in the shower,” authorities said. “Upon visual inspection, the shampoo appeared that it had never been wet, as if it had been placed on dry hair.”
Redmon allegedly said she ran over a neighbor’s home, asking the person to call 911.
“During an interview with Witness #1 [the neighbor], she stated to deputies that, prior to law enforcement arrival at the scene, Redmon told Witness #1 that she, Redmon, was going to be arrested when law enforcement arrived,” deputies said.
Authorities said they found an apparently bloodied knife in a bush on the route between the two homes.
Asked why she did not call 911, Redmon allegedly said she did not have a cellphone. But when authorities arrived, she had been standing by a vehicle parked in front of the home, documents stated. A cellphone, covered in apparent blood, was on the front seat in plain view, investigators wrote. Deputies believe this showed the phone had been near the victim after he was attacked.
Redmon briefly voiced worry for her brother and sisters, but when prompted, she refused to answer any questions about the identity of the supposed attackers. She also refused to discuss any follow-up questions about her earlier statements, deputies said.
Redmon’s attorney, public defender Matt Willis, declined to comment.
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