Joplin Woman Admits Role in Chilling Kidnap and Murder Case, Community Shaken by Gruesome Details
JOPLIN, Mo. – A local woman has pleaded guilty to her part in a brutal crime involving the kidnapping and murder of a man, rattling the southeast Missouri community and highlighting a sinister chain of criminal acts. Carla Jo Ward, 49, entered her plea in a Newton County courtroom on Tuesday, admitting to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm. Her confession is part of a broader case that has implicated six …