Ward Weaver III
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Ward Weaver III is a convicted felon. He is serving a life sentence without possibility of parole for sexual assault, rape, attempted murder, and the murder of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis in Oregon City, Oregon.[1]
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[edit] Early life and prior marriages
In 1967, Ward Weaver's father abandoned the family. A few years later, Weaver's mother, Trish, married Bob Budrow, an abusive alcoholic.
Weaver first exhibited antisocial behavior as a teenager; his sister, Tammi, later said that he physically and sexually abused at least one family member by the time he was 12. In 1981, a teenaged relative reported that he had repeatedly raped and beat her, but authorities never took action.
In 1981, Weaver joined the US Navy Reserve. He was discharged on May 17, 1982, for heavy drinking and direliction of duty. While in the Navy, he met his future wife, Maria Stout. The couple moved in with Weaver's parents, and she was soon pregnant. Weaver attacked her and put her in the hospital when she was five months pregant, but she refused to press charges. She eventually bore him a son, followed by a daughter seven years later.
At about this time of his son's birth, Weaver's father was convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
Some time later, Weaver and his wife moved in with the Ordanas family. One night, an intoxicated Weaver attacked 15-year-old Jennifer Ordanas with a concrete block. They escaped, and Weaver was sentenced to three years in prison for assault.
In 1993, Maria Weaver filed a restraining order against her husband, and their marriage ended in divorce. In July 1995, Weaver beat his new girlfriend, Kristi Sloan, with a cast-iron skillet. He was jailed for the incident, but Sloan refused to testify against him. By October they were back together and, in February 1996, they married. The marriage lasted four years.
[edit] Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis
In August 1997, Weaver began an affair with a woman he met at work. They eventually moved into his rental house on South Beavercreek Road in Oregon City. Weaver's 12-year-old daughter became friends with Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis.
In August 2001, Ashley accused Weaver of attempting to rape her, but the police didn't investigate. On January 9, 2002, Ashley disappeared on her way to school. Two months later, Miranda vanished. Neither girl was ever seen alive again. After the girls vanished, Weaver (with the help of his son), dug a hole in his yard and covered it with cement; Weaver told his son it was a pad for a hot tub.
On August 13, Weaver was arrested for raping his son's 19-year-old girlfriend. Upon calling 9-11, Weaver's son told emergency dispatchers that his father admitted killing Ashley and Miranda. On the weekend of August 24-25, FBI agents found the remains of Ashley Pond in the hole dug in his backyard. They also found the remains of Miranda Gaddis in a bag in the storage shed.
[edit] Criminal proceedings
On October 2, 2002, Weaver was indicted and charged with: six counts of aggravated murder; two counts of abuse of a corpse in the second degree; one count of sexual abuse in the first degree; one count of attempted rape in the second degree; one count of attempted aggravated murder; one count of first degree attempted rape; one count of sexual abuse in the first degree; one count of sexual abuse in the second degree; and two counts of sexual abuse in the third degree.
In September 2004, Weaver pleaded guilty to two charges and no-contest to the rest. He was sentenced to two life sentences without parole.
On March 4, 2007, Weaver was walking to the barber shop for a hair cut, when the barber revealed a makeshift knife and attacked him, causing neck and shoulder injuries. He was treated at the prison. The barber was placed in the disciplinary unit.
[edit] References
- ^ Redden, Jim. "Guilty plea came after trial looked inevitable", Portland Tribune, September 24, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-02-14.
[edit] External links
- about.com article about Weaver
- O'Neal, Linda; Philip Tennyson and Rick Watson: Missing: The Oregon City Girls: A Shocking True Story of Abduction and Murder; New Horizon Press, January 1, 2006. ISBN-10: 0882822683 ISBN-13: 978-0882822686
- Portland Tribune story calling credibility of above book into question
