Suspect’s account not consistent with evidence in Wappapello shooting death

GREENVILLE — A Poplar Bluff woman died early Thursday morning of multiple gunshot wounds allegedly fired by her boyfriend who now faces a murder charge.

Lelena Kay Guard’s cause of death was determined during an autopsy performed Friday morning by Dr. Russell Deidiker at Farmington, according to Wayne County Deputy Coroner Mark Smith.

Samples also were taken from the 52-year-old victim for toxicology analysis, Smith said. Toxicology results typically take six to eight weeks.

Guard’s boyfriend, Bobbie Leroy Aden, aka Bobbie Adam, of the 300 block of Helen Avenue, was charged with her death Thursday afternoon.

The 54-year-old is charged with the Class A felony of second-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action.

Aden, who is being held without bond in the Wayne County Jail, appeared Friday afternoon before Associate Circuit Judge Christina Kime for a bond appearance hearing.

Attorney Benjamin Campbell with the Public Defender’s Office entered an appearance in Aden’s case, and Kime ordered Aden to appear at 9 a.m. Thursday for a bond appearance hearing.

Wayne County authorities learned of the shooting at about 1:05 a.m. Thursday when a resident on County Road 522a at Wappapello called the sheriff’s department to report “someone was shooting at his residence,” according to Deputy Jesse Drum’s probable-cause statement.

Drum and Deputy Johnny Scott responded, arriving at about 1:40 a.m. and contacting Joshua Hopkins.

“Joshua Hopkins stated ‘someone was shooting over by that camper (pointing across the street to a white camper). I heard the shots,’” Drum said.

Hopkins further reported he believed the shots were being fired at his house.

When the deputies initially knocked on the camper door, Drum said, they received no response.

“Deputy Scott walked to the end of the camper and advised me he observed a bullet hole in the rear wall of the camper,” Drum said.

At that point, Drum said, he knocked and announced “sheriff’s department” louder.

“ … a male voice responded ‘hold on a minute,’” Drum said. “I knocked and announced sheriff’s department again; a male voice stated ‘hold on.’

“I heard shuffling inside the camper.”

Drum said a man, later identified as Aden, opened the door.

“Bobbie Aden was nude, covered in a red substance I knew to be blood,” Drum said. “I observed what appeared to be a firearm in Bobbie Aden’s right hand.

“I drew my sidearm and ordered him out of the camper.”

Drum said Aden closed the door then reopened it, exiting the camper with his hands up.

After Aden was handcuffed, “I observed a white female inside the camper lying on the floor, nude and covered in blood,” Drum said. “I observed a black semiautomatic pistol lying on a refrigerator just inside the door.”

When Drum asked Scott to check on the woman, he said, “Drum stated ‘she is done.’”

Guard reportedly was found lying in the kitchen area of the camper.

After being told of his rights, Aden reported “I shot her; she shot herself and was gurgling, and I shot her.”

Aden, Drum said, further reported he tried to kill himself, but “‘the gun wouldn’t work.’”

To assist in the investigation, Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch requested assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control in processing the scene.

Aden subsequently was taken to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, where, Drum said, he was interviewed by Troopers Shannon Sitton and Matt Foster.

Drum said Sitton provided him with a brief verbal synopsis of the interview in which Aden “told them he was in the bedroom making the bed, and Lelana was in the bathroom.”

Drum said he was further told Aden reported “he heard a shot and turned around to see Lelana lying in the floor bleeding … Aden then told them he went to her and slipped on the blood and fell down beside Lelana, facing her.”

Aden, according to Drum, told officers “he shot her twice in the head. Trooper Sitton advised me Bobbie Aden pointed to the right side of the head around the ear when he stated he shot her in the head twice.”

Drum said Aden further alleged he attempted three times to shoot himself, but the gun malfunctioned, and he “ejected three bullets from the firearm in attempts to get it to work.”

A search warrant, Drum said, was applied for and executed on the camper and two vehicles parked on the property.

During the search, Drum said, investigators found a Hi-Point 9mm pistol, unloaded and covered with blood, on the refrigerator, as well as three live 9mm rounds. The bullets also reportedly were covered in blood.

Drum said two spent shell casings were found on the sofa in the living room area.

“The location of these spent shell casings is not consistent with the firearm being fired from a lying position on the floor in the kitchen near the body,” Drum said.

A spent shell casing also was found on the kitchen floor near Guard’s body, and another was found under the camper trailer.

“The blood pool on the floor did not have any signs of anyone slipping,” Drum said.

Investigators, according to Drum, also found three bullet holes in the camper — one in the rear wall, one in a kitchen cabinet and one which traveled through part of the stove and into a cabinet.

“Another bullet hole was later located in the floor under the body,” Drum said.