Jacque Sue Waller Case: Husband Of Missing Missouri Mom Denies Mocking Searchers
The estranged husband of Jacque Sue Waller, the missing mother of young triplets from Missouri, is denying reports through his attorney that he has been mocking search volunteers and impeding the investigation.
At least one volunteer claims James "Clay" Waller shot his middle finger at searchers, laughed and blew kisses at them, and otherwise acted in a harassing manner.
This comes as Jackson Police Chief James Humphreys tells FoxNews.com that Waller is "not cooperating the way we hope he would."
Waller's lawyer denies all of these assertions.
"He has cooperated," Scott Douglas Reynolds, told The Huffington Post Thursday.
Nevertheless, Reynolds has serious questions about the investigation.
"I know some of the police -- I'm not going to get into specifics -- but some of the tactics they have used in this case I question," Reynolds said. "We'll get into that at the appropriate time. ... I do have respect for the police, but like I say, there are some things that have been going on here that in 22 years of practicing law I have never seen."
Humphreys did not return calls for comment from The Huffington Post.
Laura Helbig, a volunteer who has been searching for the missing woman, says she's appalled with Waller's behavior.
"When he sees a group out searching he will get their attention by driving slow [and] he blows kisses, laughs and likes to flip them off. The police chief in Jackson will [also] attest to the fact that every time Clay sees him, he flips him off," Helbig told The Huffington Post.
"I don't understand the behavior," she added. "There is no excuse for it. There are some parallels between [his] behavior and Drew Peterson. But, the joke is going to be on clay -- he is overly confident [and] digging his own hole."
Peterson is a former Illinois cop who is suspected of killing his third wife and is the lead suspect in the 2007 disappearance his fourth wife.
Reynolds said he had not heard about the alleged profane gestures.
"I am not familiar with that but he would deny it," the attorney said. "My question would be why haven't they contacted me to talk about all this?"
The 39-year-old Cape Girardeau woman was last seen on June 1, when she went to Waller's house to pick up her son but the child was not at the home when she arrived. What happened to her after that remains a mystery.
During police questioning, Clay Waller said his wife arrived at his house around 4 p.m. He said they got into an argument and she stormed off on foot. Waller said he left and that when he returned about two hours later, her car was gone. The vehicle was later found abandoned on nearby Interstate 55. One of its tires was flat. Jacque Waller's purse, keys and cellphone were not found inside the vehicle, police said.
Last week, Jacque Waller's Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield business cards were found inside a packet along Missouri Route 177, roughly 10 miles from where her car was found. Waller, according to police, is a manager at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Cape Girardeau.
Clay Waller, a former police officer, has been named a person of interest in the case.
"Clay is not responsible for his wife's disappearance and we have substantial evidence to support that claim," Reynolds said. "We will not comment on the evidence at this point as there is an ongoing police investigation. It is sufficient to state that the police do not consider Clay a "suspect" in Jackie's disappearance and they have repeatedly said there is no evidence that a crime was even committed here."
Jacque Waller’s parents, Stan and Ruby Rawson, did not immediately respond to an interview request from The Huffington Post today.
Last week, the Rawsons said Waller was a victim of domestic abuse. The family also said they suspect her estranged husband is involved in her disappearance.
"He tore my family to pieces," Jacque Waller's father, Stan Rawson, said last week on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I have no doubt in my mind. ... The police are operating on the assumption that something must have happened, that's for sure. I am operating on the assumption that something did happen, and have no doubt in my mind about what happened."
Appearing on the same program, Jacque Waller's sister, Cheryl Brenneke, said her sister was afraid of her husband.
"He'd been threatening her for a solid year," Brenneke told ABC News. "He told her that divorcing her would be a death sentence."
A $3,500 reward is being offered by Jacque Waller's family for information leading to her return. Tipsters are asked to call (573) 243-3151.
According to Reynolds, "Clay misses Jackie. He is saddened and shocked by her disappearance. He hopes and prays for her safe return and his heart goes out to the Rawson family despite their repeated accusations against him."
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First Posted: 07/21/11 06:24 PM ET Updated: 09/20/11 06:12 AM ET