True Crime Friday: Ward Francis Weaver III, Serial Rapist and Murderer
Ward Francis Weaver III is an American convicted murderer and serial sex offender. He is serving life without the possibility of parole for the murders of friends Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis. As with the majority of killers, Weaver had a tumultuous childhood. His father Ward Weaver Jr., was a convicted murderer and serial assaulter who was put on Death Row in a California Prison because of his crimes. It was also suspected that Weaver Jr., was a serial killer.
Weaver's father murdered 18-year-old Air Force recruit Robert Radford and his 23-year-old girlfriend Barbara Levoy. He also raped Levoy before he murdered her. He later buried the victims in his backyard. Weaver Jr., is also a suspected serial killer. It is believed that he murdered at least twenty four people during his reign of terror.
In 2002, Ashley Pond was on her way to the bus stop in Oregon City. She lived in an apartment complex next to Weaver’s home. Ashley disappeared on her way to the bus stop. A few months’ later Miranda Gaddis a friend and school mate of Pond also vanished under mysterious circumstances. Weaver's then-12-year-old daughter Mallori Weaver was friends with Ashley Marie Pond and Miranda Diane Gaddis.
The disappearance of these two young girls made international news. This was a major news story at the time and the story appeared on Unsolved Mysteries amongst other television and news shows. During this time the media was interviewing neighbors, friends and families of the two girls. A neighbor of the two girls took an interest in the both cases and emerged as sort of a spokesman for the neighborhood. His name was Ward Francis Weaver, III.
The remains of both girls were discovered on Weaver's property in the back yard. Before the bodies were discovered Weaver raped his son’s girlfriend which was reported to the authorities by Weaver's son Francis. Weaver was arrested for the rape and in 2004, the police used this crime as an entrance to search Weaver’s property for the missing girls. The body of Ashley was found buried under a concrete slab. Miranda’s remains were found in a microwave box on Weaver’s property. Weaver was sentenced to life without parole for the sexual assault and murders of Ashley and Miranda. He was also convicted of abusing the corpse of Gaddis.
The Early Childhood of Ward Francis Weaver III
Ward Francis Weaver III was presented to the world on April 6, 1963. His parents were Trish and Ward Weaver Jr. Weaver’s father abandoned the family when Ward was young. His mother got married a second time to an abusive partner. Ward sexually assaulted his sister Tammi Weaver when he was twelve years old. And he use to beat up his younger brother Bob Budrow, Jr., just for kicks. In 1981, a teenaged relative reported that Weaver had repeatedly raped and beat her. Police investigated allegations of the abuse in 1981 but as usual he got away with it because prosecutors decided not to pursue charges. Weaver had enlisted in the armed services and would be leaving Portland so that was the reason no charges were pursued. Another missed opportunity by authorities to take this dangerous man off the streets. Weaver went into the armed service but was discharged a year later because of his drinking and dereliction of duty. He met Maria Stout while in the Navy. They had a son named Francis who becomes a big part of this story.The Victims of Ward Francis Weaver III
- Ashley Pond
- Miranda Gaddis
The Survivors of Ward Francis Weaver III
- Tammi Weaver
- Bob Budrow, Jr.
- Maria Stout
- Francis Weaver
- Teenaged Relative of Weaver
- His son’s teenaged Girlfriend
Linda O'Neal, a private investigator and a relative of Pond suspected Weaver in the disappearance of the girls. Pond had told her mother that Weaver had raped her when she spent the night at his house. It was reported to the police but no action was taken against Weaver. Another missed opportunity. Because of the reported rape and Ashley now missing, O’Neal reported her suspicions to the FBI. Weaver then became a prime suspect after he was reported by O’Neal.
Lady Justice
On August 13, 2002, Weaver's son Francis, called police claiming that Weaver had attempted to rape his nineteen-year-old girlfriend. When speaking to authorities, Francis suggested that his stepfather had been involved in the murders of Pond and Gaddis. Weaver was arrested for the attempted sexual assault, and law enforcement subsequently initiated a warrant to investigate his property. FBI agents discovered Gaddis's remains inside an empty microwave box in a storage shed behind Weaver's home. On August 25, the remains of Pond were unearthed from beneath the concrete slab in Weaver's backyard, where Ashley Pond had been stored in a 55-gallon barrel.The Governor at the time John Kitzhaber launched a multi-agency investigation into the handling of the first report of Weaver's abuse of Pond. Weaver has been accused by Pond of sexual assault when she spent the night over his house but nothing was done by authorities. In 2009, Gaddis's younger sister, Miriah, visited Weaver in prison where Weaver admitted to murdering Ashley and Miranda. Weaver told Miriah that she was the next intended target. Weaver was attacked by a prison barber because of the murders. He survived the stabbing.
A Sad Saga Continues
February 17, 2014, Weaver's stepson Francis was arrested and charged with murder. He and three others had robbed and killed 43-year-old Edward Spangler. Francis Weaver was convicted of murder in 2016, though it was later reduced to manslaughter.Reference
Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis Murders: Where is Ward Weaver Now? UpdateOregon's Dark Chapter: The Kidnapping and Murders of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddis
Ward Weaver III - Wikipedia