Man accused of killing his girlfriend/cousin in City of Fox Lake; his mother, mother's boyfriend also charged

DODGE COUNTY -- Three people have been criminally charged in connection with the death of a woman found inside a pickup truck in a garage on We Go Trail in the City of Fox Lake in Dodge County on Sunday, December 4th. The main suspect in this case is the boyfriend of the woman found dead, who was also her cousin. That man's mother, and his mother's boyfriend are also charged -- accused of harboring or aiding a felon.

Charges in this case are as follows:

Laverne Ware Jr.

According to a criminal complaint, on Sunday, December 4th, the Dodge County Sheriff's Office was notified of a death investigation in the City of Fox Lake.

Just before 4:00 p.m., a 911 call came in from Vernon Mickey -- who reported a possible homicide at 100 We Go Trail in Fox Lake. The complaint indicates Mickey said he lived at the home with his girlfriend, Marjorie Jones, and her son, Laverne Ware Jr. Mickey stated that Jones and Ware Jr. were "involved in the situation" and he called from another location (a Kwik Trip store) because "he didn't want them to know he called."

Mickey reported "a lot of blood" in the garage, but said he didn't see a body. He reported that Ware Jr.'s girlfriend was "missing since (Saturday) night," and he believed the blood in the garage was from Ware Jr.'s girlfriend.

The complaint indicates a deceased female was discovered at the home in a blue Ram pickup truck parked in the garage. She was positively identified as Ware Jr.'s girlfriend. An autopsy revealed her death was a homicide.

Home on We Go Trail in Fox Lake in Dodge County

Marjorie Jones

DOT records indicated this Ram truck belonged to Ware Jr. According to the complaint, Ware Jr. told officials he'd been driving the truck all day on Saturday.

The complaint indicates Mickey told investigators he saw Ware Jr.'s girlfriend leave with Ware Jr. on Saturday night.

Investigators interviewed Marjorie Jones, Ware Jr.'s mother, who said she "didn't know what was in her son's mind." She said she "didn't know what was in the garage," but that her son's Mustang and camper were parked in the driveway of her home. When asked whether she had any information about what may have happened on Saturday night and what Ware Jr. did, Jones said "I'm taking the fifth on that," and "don't ask me, ask him." She claimed she was unaware her son was at her home on Sunday, and didn't know what was in her garage.

Home on We Go Trail in Fox Lake in Dodge County

Investigators interviewed Vernon Mickey, and the complaint indicates Mickey told officials Marjorie Jones was his girlfriend, and Jones' brother had passed away, and the funeral was Saturday in Fox Lake. Family had come up from Milwaukee for the funeral. Mickey said Ware Jr. had come over to "take care of the family," and when the family left, Ware Jr. and the woman later found dead left. Mickey said "the next thing he knows, the truck is back in the garage and there's blood up under it" -- and the woman later found dead was not around. Mickey told investigators Ware Jr. had stated "he ain't going to leave no witnesses."

Vernon Mickey

The complaint indicates Mickey told investigators he believed the woman was killed at some point between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Saturday, December 3rd. He said he "didn't see it, and didn't see who did it."

Mickey said he and Ware Jr. went out on Saturday night, and when they returned around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, "Ware Jr. started opening up about what's in the truck." Mickey said Ware Jr. made vague comments to indicate his girlfriend had left him. Mickey said Ware Jr. "insinuated (the alleged murder) to the point where he informed his mother of what was going on." Mickey said Ware Jr. told his mother his girlfriend "ran off" and "took clothes and everything and that he doesn't know where she's at and was upset about it," eventually "telling his mother what he did," indicating that he "wasn't going to leave any witnesses and he ain't gonna get caught and that he ain't going back." Mickey said at one point after he and Ware Jr. returned from going out to a bar on Saturday night, Ware Jr. and Jones "tried to recruit him to be all in so they could start discussing where they could dispose of the body." Mickey said he stated that he was not going all in, and Mickey said Jones was accusing him of sleeping with the woman found dead in the truck. Mickey said he "believed Jones was turning on him, and implying that Ware Jr. should kill Mickey if he did not go along" with the plan.

Mickey said once Ware Jr. fell asleep on Saturday night, he talked with Jones about the situation and Jones accused Mickey of messing around with Ware Jr.'s girlfriend.

Mickey told investigators he left for the Kwik Trip store where he would later call 911 on Sunday morning -- but bought cigarettes and returned home. He would eventually return to the store around 4:00 p.m. Sunday to make that 911 call.

According to the complaint, investigators asked Mickey about Ware Jr.'s relationship with the woman later found dead, and he described it as "volatile." He said Ware Jr. and the woman were cousins, and the woman was a "money hungry gold digger." Mickey said Ware Jr. "always had trouble with women" so he's "used to putting hands on them." Mickey confirmed that Ware Jr. and his cousin were in a "boyfriend/girlfriend" relationship and lived together for five years at a home on Green Street in Fox Lake. Mickey said the two had been having problems "for a long time" and there had been lots of fights and domestic violence calls. As to the situation in the garage, Mickey said "I saw that coming years ago. I'm surprised he didn't do it a long time ago."

Mickey said Ware Jr. had never admitted to him that he allegedly killed the woman, but Mickey said he "put two and two together."

When asked why he didn't call 911 sooner if he knew there had been a murder, Mickey said "I waited until I got a good understanding of what it was that was going on and I couldn't wait no more."

The three people charged in this case -- Ware Jr., Jones and Mickey made their initial court appearances in this case on December 6th.

Cash bond was set at $200,000 for Ware Jr.

Cash bond was set at $25,000 for Jones.

Preliminary hearings were scheduled for December 15th for Jones and Ware Jr.

Bond was set at $5,000 for Mickey. He'll be in court on January 19th for his preliminary hearing.