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| Gabriel Roche is charged with first-degree murder (mug shot GCSO) |
An eighteen year-old man is facing first-degree murder charges in connection to the weekend death of another teen from Republic.
Gabriel Luke Roche was booked into the Greene County jail about 10 hours after a passerby called authorities about 7:30 a.m. Saturday (12-31) after discovering the body of 17 year-old Weston Tyler North lying in a ditch in the area of FR 178, east of Hwy. ZZ. North had been stabbed multiple times and his throat was slit, according to court records.
The area where North's body was found is southeast of Republic High School and northeast of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.
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| Weston Tyler North (facebook) |
According to the probable cause statement used as the basis for the charges, "Roche admitted to being with Michael Roche [his brother] as well as a third subject as they drove Weston North from the Wal-Mart in Republic, Missouri to the location where he was later found deceased. He stated he went there with the purpose to kill Weston North. He stated he wanted to kill North because he believed North was a “snitch”, informing Law Enforcement of criminal activity and he wanted his brother to see someone get killed.
Greene County Sgt. Curtis Hunt writes, "Gabriel Luke Roche detailed how he killed Weston North which matched the injuries found on North. He detailed how he first stabbed North with a knife in the chest through the sternum. After North ran from him and he chased after him he said he stabbed North in the back and side. He said North begged for his life and he then cut his throat. The injuries sustained by North were consistent with the injuries Gabriel stated he inflicted on him."
Sgt. J. Stanley interviewed Michael Roche who corroborated the Gabriel's statement, "stating his brother Gabriel stabbed North in the chest, chased after North who begged for his life, and cut his throat. Michael Roche indicated that he thought they were walking from the van to a location to look for some of Weston’s belongings but in hindsight should have realized what his brother Gabriel was going to do."
According to online court records, a stepparent of Gabriel Roche filed for an order of protection against the teen in May and in August he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft and assault and was sentenced to two years unsupervised probation, with 180 days of jail time suspended.
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Gabriel Roche is being held without bond (because a motion to revoke his bond has been filed with the court,) in the Greene County jail. A check of an online census of inmates currently incarcerated in the Greene County jail does not show Michael Roche in the jail at this time. The third unidentified person, whom sources say is E. B., was held on a 24 hour investigative hold and released after charges weren't filed against her.
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Sheriff Jim Arnott says he is in the process of releasing additional information concerning North's murder and will get back to me shortly.
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Probable Cause Statement Against Gabriel Luke Roche:
Date: January 1, 2012 Case #: 1959911
I, Sgt. Curtis Hunt, knowing that false statements on this form are punishable by law, state that the facts contained herein are true.
- 1. I have probable cause to believe that on December 31, 2011, near 6121 W. Farm Road 178, Republic, Greene County, Missouri, Gabriel Luke Roche; DOB: 07/09/1993, SSN: committed one or more criminal offenses.
- 2. The facts supporting this belief are as follows:
On December 31, 2011 at about 0728 hours a motorist called Greene County Dispatch to report a male subject was observed lying in a ditch on Farm Road 178 near State Highway ZZ near Republic, Missouri a location in Greene County. The motorist believed the subject appeared to be deceased. Upon arrival of Greene County Deputies and First Responders the male subject was located and confirmed to be deceased.
Greene County Sheriffs Deputy Teeling was the first Law Enforcement Officer to arrive on the scene. He observed the deceased male subject with an apparent laceration to the subject’s throat.
The deceased male subject was later identified as Weston T. North (DOB: 10/13/1994) who lived in the city of Republic, Missouri. Dr. Anderson with the Greene County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the manner of death to Weston North was by homicide. The cause of death was from multiple stab wounds.
Detectives discovered Weston North associated with Gabriel Luke Roche and Michael Roche, Gabriel’s brother. North was last seen in the company of Michael Roche the previous evening. Greene County Sheriffs Deputies received information Gabriel and Michael were looking for someone to pick them up and were on foot in the Springfield area. They were located along with a third subject walking on foot at Lynn and Franklin, Springfield, Missouri.
Post Miranda warning Gabriel Luke Roche admitted to being with Michael Roche as well as a third subject as they drove Weston North from the Wal-Mart in Republic, Missouri to the location where he was later found deceased. He stated he went there with the purpose to kill Weston North. He stated he wanted to kill North because he believed North was a “snitch”, informing Law Enforcement of criminal activity and he wanted his brother to see someone get killed.
Gabriel Luke Roche detailed how he killed Weston North which matched the injuries found on North. He detailed how he first stabbed North with a knife in the chest through the sternum. After North ran from him and he chased after him he said he stabbed North in the back and side. He said North begged for his life and he then cut his throat. The injuries sustained by North were consistent with the injuries Gabriel stated he inflicted on him.
The above facts and information are true to the best of my information and belief.
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UPDATE 02-28-13:
Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson has filed paperwork announcing that he intends to seek the death penalty against Roche for Weston's murder.
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