Marlene Ballard, outside her trailer home in Auxvasse, Missouri
AUXVASSE, MISSOURI -- Editor's Note: This story contains sensitive/adult language.
Marlene Ballard is the fiancee of David Corn - the man accused of murdering his wife, "Jane Doe," and burying her body in a shallow grave last month.
"Really, I'm glad the bitch is gone," said Ballard outside of their mobile home. "Now I can say it since the officer isn't here. I'm sorry to say it. I'm glad the bitch is gone. But now David's gone."
Investigators identified the body Wednesday as Melissa Corn, 35, of Auxvasse.
Ballard spoke candidly about the bizarre triangle she was involved in, which had her living with David Corn even before his wife, Melissa, turned up dead.
The three shared a trailer house in Auxvasse. And while police worked to figure out what exactly happened to the woman known then only as Jane Doe, Ballard said she already knew Melissa Corn was dead, a month before her body was found.
"Two days afterwards, we [David Corn and Ballard] went down to the river," she said. "I went where we used to camp at and stood there for awhile and then went back to the vehicle. And he walked in the woods. And I asked him, 'What is he doing out in the woods?' He told me not to worry about it. So then I went out there and that's when I saw her, her body."
Ballard said she didn't tell police because she didn't want her fiance to get into trouble. Two days earlier, sometime in March, she, David, and Melissa got into a heated argument at the house. David left with Melissa but the two didn't return home together.
What is truly chilling though is the story, the lie, they told Melissa's family. They said Melissa had all of a sudden "moved out" and that they "took her to Flying J," a truck stop near St. Louis.
Ballard freely admitted she didn't like Melissa, that she and David wanted her out of the house and out of their lives.
During a 12 minute interview, in which she hardly ever made eye contact, she expressed jealousy, anger and sadness. She often contradicted herself when asked whether she believed her fiance was capable of murdering his wife.
"I don't think he done it," said Ballard. "But the officer said he did so I don't think he did it."
But five minutes later she changed her story, saying, "I believe he did it but not on [purpose]. " Ballard said she believes Corn did in fact kill his wife, but that it was an accident.
"I don't think he meant to," she said.
Ballard said she played no role in the murder and that she still loves and stands by her fiance. But in the end she revealed little concern for Melissa Corn. In fact, there was outright contempt.
"If I had a chance I would have done it," she said. "And then I would've been in David's place."
In response to our interview with Ballard, Callaway County Sheriff Dennis Crane said her sentiments - about Melissa being gone - was not something she had told investigators. He didn't confirm any other details, except to say that investigators had already interviewed her.
Courtesy KCRG
