In the autumn of 2014, the quiet woods of southeast Missouri became the backdrop for a grim discovery. Kenneth Allen Willard, a 53-year-old male, had traveled from his home in Bismarck for a hunting trip in Stoddard County on October 20, 2014, with the intention of returning five days later. He was last seen by his daughter on October 24 at a convenience store in Zalma. When he failed to return home, concern grew, and a search began. The search reached a sad conclusion when a fisherman discovered a man's body in the Black River near the Markham Springs Recreation area. Authorities from the Wayne County Sheriff's office were called to the scene and later identified the remains as those of Kenneth Willard. An investigation quickly determined that he had died from a gunshot wound, and foul play was suspected.
The investigation, involving multiple county sheriff's departments, soon focused on individuals known to Willard. The probe led authorities to 30-year-old Russell Dale Mayberry of Zalma, who was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in Willard's death. Additionally, Russell's father, 59-year-old Roger Dale Mayberry, also of Zalma, was implicated in the crime. The elder Mayberry faced charges of hindering the prosecution of a felony and tampering with physical evidence for his role in trying to conceal the murder.
As the case unfolded, a narrative of fear and paranoia emerged, apparently fueled by the drug trade. Roger Mayberry told investigators that his son and Willard had been at his sawmill when he heard a gunshot and found Willard dead. According to the father's account, his son, Russell, claimed he killed Willard out of self-preservation, stating, 'it was either him or me.' Russell reportedly believed that Willard was 'setting him up to kill him' in a dispute related to drugs. Despite this claim, the elder Mayberry stated there had been no physical altercation between the two men before the fatal shot. Ultimately, Russell Dale Mayberry pleaded guilty to a murder charge in connection with Kenneth Willard's death, bringing a legal conclusion to the tragic case.
