MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man preempted his upcoming jury trial by pleading guilty Thursday to multiple felonies, including murder, in connection with a 2015 attack at a Bollinger County home.
William Anthony Pickard of the 800 block of North D Street pleaded guilty to the Class A felonies of second-degree murder and first-degree assault and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action (ACA) before Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis, according to docket entries on Casenet.
The 34-year entered his plea on the day he was supposed to appear before Lewis for a pretrial conference in his case and after the state filed an amended information with the court.
It alleged on Aug. 28, 2015, Pickard knowingly caused the death of Joshua A. Sharar by shooting and stabbing him and did so by using a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol.
The amended information further alleged Pickard also shot and stabbed Vickie M. Williams multiple times and such conduct was a "substantial step" toward attempting to kill her and caused her serious physical injury.
Pickard originally was supposed to stand trial July 25-27 on the Class A felonies of first-degree murder and first-degree assault, ACA and the Class C felony of first-degree tampering with a motor-vehicle.
After accepting Pickard's plea, Lewis ordered a sentencing assessment report be completed by Probation and Parole and set sentencing for Aug. 3.
Authorities learned of the incident at about 9:55 p.m. Aug. 28, 2015, when the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department was contacted by a neighbor, who reported hearing gunshots, at the trailer where Williams and Sharar lived together on Highway 51, north of Marble Hill, then Sgt. Della Moore said in her probable-cause statement.
The neighbor, she said, reported seeing a man laying on the ground with a "knife in him."
The knife, according to earlier reports, was protruding from Sharar's torso.
Williams also reportedly was found laying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds.
Both Williams and Sharar, Moore said, had been stabbed and shot several times and were taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where Sharar, 31, died.
The alleged suspect, identified as Pickard, left in Sharar's Chevrolet truck, which, Moore said, later was seen in Puxico, Mo., and an alleged vehicle pursuit began at about 10:45 p.m.
"The suspect was pursued southbound on Missouri 51 to Route B in Butler County," Moore said.
The truck, Moore said, ran over deployed spike strips and then turned southbound onto Highway AA.
"The driver eventually stopped and ran from the vehicle," Moore said, who indicated Pickard was arrested at about 11 p.m. "within a few feet of the truck in a roadside drainage ditch."
Pickard, she said, was taken to the Butler County jail, where he was told of his rights and agreed to speak with officers.
During the interview, Moore said, Pickard told officers he had been "seeing Williams romantically since his release from prison in July (2015)."
Pickard, Moore said, reported he moved in with Williams, who was living with Sharar.
Pickard, Moore said, further told the officers the romance between he and Williams continued, but "the sexual encounters began to be further apart in time.
"Pickard indicated he thought he was being mistreated and began to have premeditated thoughts of killing Williams."
On Aug. 28, 2015, Moore said, Williams and Sharar left the residence to visit a relative in Benton, Mo.
"Pickard said he retrieved a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol, owned by Sharar, and also a serrated blade knife," Moore said. "Pickard said he shut the lights off in the residence, so it would appear he was asleep when Sharar and Williams arrive(d) home."
When Williams and Sharar got home, Moore said, Pickard allegedly confronted them with the pistol.
"Pickard said he shot both Williams and Sharar several times and stabbed both of them several times," Moore said. "Pickard further stated he retrieved the phones from the residence, so neither Williams nor Sharar could call for help."
Pickard then allegedly took money from Sharar's wallet and "kicked him in the face," Moore said.
"Pickard said he took Sharar's truck and started driving toward Poplar Bluff," Moore said. "(He) indicated as he traveled through Puxico, a police officer attempted to stop him, and he ran" before being caught.