Loss of Innocence: The Murder of Vanissa Waford

04/05/22 • 45 min

2 Listeners

**NOTE: I inadvertently mispronounced Vanissa’s name in both episodes. It is pronounced slightly different than the traditional Vanessa name. I am so sorry for this error and it will be corrected with a recorded introduction to both episodes. **
On June 25, 1989, beloved seventeen year old Vanissa "Nissy" Waford was working her shift at Maxie's Shoe Store in Shelbyville, Kentucky. "Nissy" had just graduated at the top of her class at Shelby County High School and was headed off to college in the fall. On that fateful day, just as the store closed the beautiful teenager was brutally beaten to death in a robbery gone wrong. The senseless murder rocked the small town and police were desperate for answers. The investigation took months but in March 1991, William Ray Stark, Jr. was arrested for the crime. The arrest and indictment brought some degree of relief to the community but justice would not come for the crime. What followed the indictment was a legal nightmare and a failed prosecution. The failures mean that there has been no justice for Vanissa, her family or the community.

**NOTE: I inadvertently mispronounced Vanissa’s name in both episodes. It is pronounced slightly different than the traditional Vanessa name. I am so sorry for this error and it will be corrected with a recorded introduction to both episodes. **
On June 25, 1989, beloved seventeen year old Vanissa "Nissy" Waford was working her shift at Maxie's Shoe Store in Shelbyville, Kentucky. "Nissy" had just graduated at the top of her class at Shelby County High School and was headed off to college in the fall. On that fateful day, just as the store closed the beautiful teenager was brutally beaten to death in a robbery gone wrong. The senseless murder rocked the small town and police were desperate for answers. The investigation took months but in March 1991, William Ray Stark, Jr. was arrested for the crime. The arrest and indictment brought some degree of relief to the community but justice would not come for the crime. What followed the indictment was a legal nightmare and a failed prosecution. The failures mean that there has been no justice for Vanissa, her family or the community.

Previous Episode

At the Edge of Town: The Murder of Linda Gibson and Cody Garrett

On July 3, 1994, 21 year old Linda Gibson and her 4 year old half-brother Cody Garrett left their apartment to walk to the local convenience store. The siblings never returned home. Four days later their mother and step-father were driven to a vacant field at the edge town where the bodies of her two children were subsequently found. It has been nearly 28 years since this brutal double homicide rocked the small town of Somerset, KY and the family of these victims is stills searching for answers.
** In this episode, I inadvertently mispronounced the last name of the Somerset Sheriff Sam Catron. I only learned of this after recording the entire episode. I wanted to apologize for this error. In any future episodes this mistake will be corrected.**

Next Episode

Loss of Innocence: Justice Denied for Vanissa Waford

**NOTE: I inadvertently mispronounced Vanissa’s name in both episodes. It is pronounced slightly different than the traditional Vanessa name. I am so sorry for this error and it will be corrected with a recorded introduction to both episodes. **
The brutal murder of 17 year old Vanissa Waford on June 25, 1989 shocked the small town of Shelbyville, KY. The investigation quickly produced results when a suspect was indicted just eight months later. All eyes were on William Ray Stark, Jr. as the person who killed Vanissa as a part of a larger crime spree that took place throughout the city of Louisville in the summer of 1989. Stark was convicted in Jefferson County and sentenced to 537 years for 25+ robberies. As the trial for Vanessa's murder inched forward over the next three years there were dozens of roadblocks and missteps from troublesome witnesses, withheld evidence, allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, allegations of racial bias, resignation of attorneys, change of venue... and so many more factors that all contributed to the delay of justice for the Waford family. Ultimately, these errors came to haunt everyone involved in the case when the charges against Stark were dismissed in March 1993. There has been no re-indictment Of Stark and no new arrest for the crime in the last 30 years. The case is still classified as "open" but there have been no public statements related to the case in nearly three decades. Stark remains in prison for his Louisville convictions and has been denied parole four times. There are so many questions that have never been answered and there is still no justice for Vanissa and her family.
I wanted to give a HUGE THANK YOU to the amazing reporters at the Shelbyville Sentinel-News who did an incredible job covering this case as it happened back in 1989 through 1993. I relied heavily on the details provided in dozens and dozens of articles spanning 1989-1993. The work that local news reporters do is invaluable!