“Cold Justice” Assists in Homicide Case

An arrest has been made in a homicide investigation in Texas County. On November 10, 2007, the body of Ricky Luebbert was discovered at a residence in Texas County near the community of Tyrone. Investigation and autopsy determined that Luebbert died as a result of a gunshot wound. During the homicide investigation, Tommy K. Whetzell was identified as a person of interest. The initial investigation resulted in Whetzell being charged and convicted of a federal weapons violation, and he remained a suspect in the open homicide case.

Aided with resources from the television program “Cold Justice”, in January of 2022, the Texas County Sheriff’s Office opened a new investigation into Luebbert’s case. Based on the information from both the original investigation and the recently initiated investigation, a case was presented to a Texas County grand jury by Prosecuting Attorney Parke Stevens. The grand jury returned an indictment for Murder of the 1st Degree, Armed Criminal Action, and Discharge of a Firearm at or from a motor vehicle for Tommy K. Whetzell.

On June 29, 63-year-old Tommy K. Whetzell was arrested by the Barton County Sheriff’s Office at his residence in Liberal, Missouri. Barton County transferred custody to a Texas County deputy and Whetzell was transported back to Texas County and is incarcerated in the Texas County Jail. Whetzell was ordered to be held in the Texas County Jail without bond.