In their own words, here’s the prosecution’s case against Edwardsville couple’s killer

Zachary Capers pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder in the 2019 stabbing deaths of Edwardsville residents Lois and Michael Ladd at a Madison County Circuit Court hearing on Tuesday.

Special Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe read the following statement as a factual basis for prosecution, essentially outlining what evidence State’s Attorney Tom Haine’s office was prepared to present.

Some information had already been reported. Other details were being made public for the first time:

“If this case was to proceed to trial, the State would call members of the Edwardsville Police Department, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, The Madison County Coroner’s Office, Illinois State Police Crime Scene and Forensic Services and the many detectives of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis to testify regarding the investigation that began on March 18, 2019 and culminated in the arrest of the Defendant Zachary Capers for First Degree Murder.

“Specifically, we would present testimony that on March 18, 2019 at approximately 10:33AM law enforcement and medical personnel were dispatched to 826 N. Kansas St., Edwardsville, Madison Co IL following a 911 call for emergency response. Law enforcement learned that the 911 caller had gone to the residence to check on Lois Ladd after she did not arrive at work that day and failed to respond to phone calls or texts asking about her whereabouts. Law enforcement immediately responded and confirmed that it was the residence of:

• Lois Ladd Age 68 (DOB 1/15/51)

• Michael Ladd Age 79 (DOB 09/15/39)

“Both individuals were pronounced dead on scene by Madison County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy was performed by Medical Examiner, Dr. Kamal Sabharwal. Dr. Sabharwal determined that Michael Ladd died of stab wounds to the neck and chest, 29 in total. Lois Ladd died of stab wounds to the head and neck.

“The crime scene was processed by Crime Scene Investigators from the Illinois State Police. Several items of evidence were collected, including, pieces of a latex glove that were found in the bedroom. Forced entry was believed to have occurred by way of a bathroom window leading into the residence. Below the window was a boot print impression in the mud. A similar boot print was found in blood in two locations of the bedroom. A fourth boot print was also found on a piece of glass. Crime Scene Investigators collected all four boot print impressions as well as the latex glove and forwarded them to the Illinois State Police Metro-East Division of Forensic Services.

“A neighborhood canvas was conducted and several neighbors told police that a traffic sign at the end of the driveway leading to the Ladd residence was recently damaged. Upon further investigation, silver paint transfer was found on the sign and pieces of debris from a silver vehicle were collected from the ground near the sign.

“The Major Case Squad was active. And approximately 35 investigators from 29 agencies responded.

“Almost immediately following activation, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office informed the Major Case Squad that a suspicious person was taken into custody at approximately 9:30am on 3/17/19 after that individual knocked on the door of a residence in a rural area of Madison County. The resident happened to be a Madison County Sheriff’s Deputy. The suspicious individual appeared lost and said he needed directions. The Deputy asked for his identification that identified that person as Zachary Capers. As deputy went to retrieve a cell phone, Capers fled the scene in his vehicle being a silver Kia Sorento. The Deputy then ran an inquiry on Capers and learned that he was wanted on other charges.

“Approximately one hour later, a traffic stop was conducted on the silver Kia Sorento in Staunton, Illinois by the Staunton Police Department. Zachary Capers was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle at that time. He was arrested on his outstanding warrants.

“The silver Kia Sorento was then towed and inside the vehicle, police discovered latex gloves similar to those found at the crime scene. Further, the Kia Sorento had what appeared to be fresh damage to the front bumper. ISP Forensic Scientist Melissa Childs subsequently confirmed that the silver vehicle debris collected at the scene did in fact come from the bumper of Defendant’s Kia.

“Additionally, the Defendant, at the time of his arrest, was wearing boots. The boots were collected and submitted to the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services. Forensic Scientist Thomas Gamboe was able to positively match the Defendant’s boots to one of the impressions left at the scene of the murders. The boots also contained what appeared to be blood on the heel. The boots were sent to the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services as well and Forensic Scientist Suzanne Kidd was able to make an identification that the blood on the Defendant’s s boot came from Michael Ladd.

“Lastly, when the Defendant was arrested he had several superficial scratches on his chest and back and scratches on the knuckles on right hand that had started to scab.

“Surveillance video obtained from several residences showed the Defendant in the silver Kia Sorento on March 16. Specifically, videos from Edwardsville businesses show a vehicle that appeared to be the Defendant’s vehicle in Edwardsville at approximately 4:22AM. A video from the Circle K gas station in Cottage Hills showed the Defendant driving the Kia onto the parking lot at approximately 5:30am. The Defendant is seen entering the Circle K and purchasing bleach and gloves.

“Finally, the pieces of the latex glove found at the crime scene in the bedroom of the residence were submitted to the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services for analysis. They were then forwarded to DNA Labs International, an accredited DNA Lab International in Florida for additional testing. Forensic Scientists from DNA Lab International would testify that the pieces of glove found at the scene had what appeared to be three sources of DNA on them and that three sources were Lois Ladd, Michael Ladd and Zachary Capers.”