A cold case from 1993 in Missouri took a new turn when fresh eyes caught a suspect making incriminating comments during a 2015 interrogation. Loril Harp was being questioned about the shooting death of Steven Weltig, a liquor store owner in Arnold, Missouri. Detectives Brett Ackermann and Josh Wineinger decided to revisit the case in 2020, including reviewing the footage from the 2015 interview. They noticed that Harp was talking to himself and chatting on the phone when they left the room. In the videos, Harp can be heard cursing out a woman and yelling at himself, denying his involvement in the murder. He appeared nervous, constantly twitching and tapping his feet. The detectives considered these behaviors as potential signs of guilt.
During one phone call, Harp was overheard saying, “I’m going to jail.” This further raised suspicion among the detectives. Based on these incriminating remarks and behaviors, the detectives brought Harp in for questioning again in 2020, despite his failing health. During the interview, Harp evaded questions and played dumb for over three hours. Towards the end, Ackermann confronted Harp with the knowledge that he was present at the store during Weltig’s death and that a gun was fired. He pressed Harp to explain how it happened. Harp initially denied shooting Weltig, claiming that Weltig charged at him with a gun. However, after a brief pause, Harp admitted to physically assaulting Weltig but insisted that he didn’t shoot him.
The detectives became particularly interested when Harp mentioned the store’s side door, as the shooter had used it to escape. They asked Harp what he did when he got home, and he confessed to showering off blood. When confronted about the blood, Harp tried to backtrack, attributing it to a fist fight. However, the detectives had already gathered enough evidence to arrest him on September 30, 2020, charging him with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Harp passed away a year later at the age of 69, from an undisclosed illness. The detectives believed that their review of the 2015 interview, along with Harp’s incriminating comments and behaviors, played a significant role in solving the cold case.
