PLATTE CITY MAN CHARGED IN HATCHET MURDER, RAZOR ATTACK

Authorities say Quintin P. O’Dell killed Alissa Shippert, nearly disemboweled Ferrelview woman

Lee Stubbs
Citizen Editor

Quintin P. O’Dell was brought in for questioning by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department on Jan. 5 in regards to a brutal Dec. 26 assault of a Ferrelview woman that left her fighting for her life. In the hours that followed, as Jan. 5 gave way to Jan. 6, Platte County authorities say that O’Dell, 22, of Platte City, admitted he sliced open the Ferrelview victim with a razor and nearly disemboweled her. They also say that O’Dell admitted that he killed Alissa Shippert on the banks of the Platte River, just east of Platte City, last May.

On Jan. 7, Platte County Sheriff Richard Anderson and Prosecutor Eric Zahnd held a joint press conference at the Platte Resource Center near KCI Airport to announce O’Dell had been charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action in the Shippert killing and first degree assault and armed criminal action for the Ferrelview assault.

The charges against O’Dell seemingly bring to an end a months-long investigation that has shocked and frustrated the Platte City community.

“In the months since she was killed, Alissa Shippert’s murder has been the highest priority of the Sheriff’s Department,” Anderson said during his opening remarks. “And it will continue to remain on the front burner for our department until we bring the killer to justice. Through dogged police work, we were able to connect these two cases.”

Anderson then read from a probable cause statement filed by the Sheriff’s Department. Readers should note that some of the following information from the probable cause statement is disturbing.

According to the report, O’Dell allegedly murdered Shippert near a boat ramp at the Platte Falls Conservation area May 31. O’Dell, who was a co-worker of Shippert’s at Casey’s General Store in Platte City, told Sheriff’s deputies during an interview conducted on Jan. 5-6 that he allegedly planned to visit Shippert as she fished along the Platte River. O’Dell said he walked barefoot along the banks of the Platte River, where he found a hatchet that he stuck in his belt before continuing on to see Shippert O’Dell told investigators after he and Shippert talked for a few hours he got into a confrontation with Shippert after she believed he had drowned while swimming in the river. Authorities allege O’Dell then struck Shippert in the back of the head with a hatchet. Shippert collapsed to the ground crying, and O’Dell told deputies he wanted to end her suffering. He then allegedly got on his knees beside her and repeatedly struck her in the face with the hatchet until she was no longer crying or breathing. O’Dell then allegedly pulled Shippert’s body into the river. O’Dell told detectives he left the scene by floating back to Platte City in the Platte River, returned home, took a shower and went to sleep.

On Dec. 26, O’Dell allegedly went to the apartment of a 21-year-old woman in Ferrelview. When he was questioned by authorities on Dec. 26, O’Dell told investigators he and the victim drank alcohol and he left the apartment while the woman was alive.

See The Platte County Citizen print version (1-11-12 Issue) for the full story.

TO READ THE ENTIRE UNEDITED PLATTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S PROBABLE CAUSE STATEMENT, CLICK HERE

Shocked co-workers give varying accounts of O’Dell

"As I think about it now, there was nothing with Quintin. It was like talking to a hollow person."

-Casey's Manager Ron Stone, Recalling Quintin O’dell’s reaction when he was told about Alissa Shippert’s murder

Some of his co-workers at Casey’s General Store in Platte City all shared one recollection about accused murderer Quintin O’Dell: he was a big talker.

“It seemed like he always had some kind of big plan,” Casey’s manager Ron Stone said. “He was going to go in the military or move somewhere crazy.”

“He always talked big,” Casey’s employee Flo Goodsell said. Stone, who said O’Dell began working at Casey’s in October 2009, said he never had any issues with him.

“He would sometimes say goofy stuff and I had to write him up for a few minor things, but I never had any problems with him,” he said. “For the most part, he showed up when he was supposed to and did his job.”

Stone said he was shocked when he found out last week that O’Dell had been arrested and charged with the murder of former Casey’s employee Alissa Shippert and the razor blade assault of a Ferrelview woman.

“It has just been horrible,” Stone said. “I feel so bad for Quintin’s family; they are good people.” Stone said the Ferrelview woman whom O’Dell stands accused of cutting open with a razor blade Dec. 26 was a girlfriend of his nephew. He said that O’Dell, his nephew and the woman had known each other since high school.

“When I found out that Quintin had been down there at (the victim’s) apartment the night before she was hurt, I asked why,” Stone said. “Then I started putting some of the pieces together and thinking about it some more and it made me nervous.” Stone said that O’Dell and Shippert were friends and they often went fishing together.

“I never would have suspected this of him, none of us would,” he said.

Torie Allen, who has worked at Casey’s for four years, said she and Shippert were “best friends.”

“We both moved to Weston the same year, our birthdays were very close and we worked together every night,” she said. “We had a lot of people come in who would ask us if we were sisters.”

O’Dell also worked nights with the two women, making pizzas. “He and Alissa and I worked a lot of nights together,” Allen said. “I thought Quintin was kind of weird sometimes, but I treated him like a friend. He has been to my house and has given me rides. We’ve been alone together a lot. I still can’t believe he did what they say he did.”

Goodsell, who has worked at Casey’s for 13 years, said O’Dell was always kind and respectful to her. “I think he kind of looked at me like a grandparent figure,” she said. “I’ve known him for a long time. I remember him coming to Casey’s when he was little with his grandfather.”

Goodsell said she never had any problems with O’Dell. “I have nothing bad to say about the boy,” she said. “I don’t have any anger toward him. I guess you can say I hate the sin but not the sinner. I wonder why. I wonder how he went off the deep end. He was a super-intelligent kid.”