In the winter of 1983, the life of Walter Simon Notheis Jr., a 40-year-old male singer from St. Peters, Missouri, came to a tragic and mysterious end. Known by his stage name Walter Scott, he was the lead singer of the 1960s band Bob Kuban and The In-Men. On the morning of December 28, 1983, he was reported missing, having last been seen the previous evening. For years, his disappearance remained a cold case, leaving his family and fans to wonder what had become of the talented musician.
The grim truth of his fate would not be uncovered for more than three years. In April 1987, his body was discovered in a cistern on a property that had been owned by a man named James Howard Williams Sr. The discovery confirmed the worst fears of those who knew him; he had been the victim of a homicide. An investigation revealed that he had been bound with a rope and had been shot in the back. The case, which had long been a mystery, now became a murder investigation.
The investigation into his death led authorities to two main suspects: his wife, Joann Marie Notheis, and her boyfriend, James Howard Williams Sr. It was revealed that Joann was having an affair with Williams at the time of her husband's disappearance. The evidence against the pair mounted, and they were both arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with his death.
The subsequent legal proceedings brought the dark details of the crime to light. James Howard Williams Sr. was also implicated in the death of his first wife, whose death had initially been ruled an accident. He was ultimately convicted on two counts of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Joann Marie Notheis, in a plea bargain, pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution and received a five-year sentence. Williams died in prison in 2011, and Joann passed away in 2019.
