GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska — Witnesses say they heard an Ohio man demand the keys to a Jeep that was being towed behind a Missouri couple's RV before he stabbed them both and killed the beloved grandfather at an Interstate 80 rest area.
James Thompson Jr., 22, was formally charged with first-degree murder and 10 other felonies Thursday morning — a day after the attack at a rest area just outside Grand Island in eastern Nebraska. Thompson — who is from Elyria, Ohio — is represented by a Hall County public defender who didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Part of the attack was captured on a trucker's dash cam, but some of it happened out of sight inside Gary and Mary Weaver's RV around 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to the affidavit Hall County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joshua Moline filed in court.
Moline said the video showed a man enter the RV and make stabbing motions toward the woman before going out of view. Then when the woman came out, the man followed and stabbed her several times in the head before she fell to the ground — stopping briefly to yell at the trucker in the semi.
Deputies found Gary Weaver inside the RV with wounds in his chest and head. The 72-year-old died later at a Grand Island hospital.
Mary Weaver, 71, was sitting on the ground bleeding beside the RV. She was initially in critical condition with what the sheriff described as life-threatening injuries, but she improved to stable condition Thursday.
The family shared Friday that Mary is "doing excellent" and will probably return to St. Louis this weekend. Friends of the family started a GoFundMe, where donations will be used for mental healthcare. Click here to navigate to the GoFundMe page, where donations can be made.
The Jeep had been detached from the RV and had blood on it. The Weavers, who are from Eureka, Missouri, had been traveling across Nebraska before they were attacked.
Gary and Mary Weaver's daughter said the couple had been together for 46 years and have two children and one grandchild. They were always traveling, she said.
Gary Weaver was a talented musician and was a proud grandpa, she added.
Family friend Gary Schoenberger met Weaver through their love of music.
"We stayed friends, we got closer and he was best man at my wedding. Gary loved traveling frequently, he took Mary with him. They were always together on those kind of adventures. The big word that comes to mind with him is gentle, sweet guy," Schoenberger added. "They were two of the sweetest, gentlest souls you'd ever want to meet. Nobody deserves this but if anybody didn't deserve it, it was certainly them."
Schoenberger shared that when Weaver retired his dream was to travel more.
Police said Thompson fled the rest area in a Ford Focus before officers arrived, but a Nebraska State Trooper quickly spotted him exiting the highway at Wood River. Thompson sped away at 120 mph over I-80 and passed another driver before crashing into the Platte River. He was arrested nearby with blood on his shirt and several cuts on his hand.
According to court documents, Thompson admitted to stabbing both victims as he was attempting to steal the Jeep that was attached to the back of their camper.
Thompson was being held without bond.
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV or the Apple TV App Store.