July 20, 2001

News Release

Knoblauch Pleads Guilty to Murder Conspiracy

On July 16, 2001, Ralph John. Knoblauch, 61, of 1501 Rand Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, pled guilty to the felony of conspiracy to commit murder in the Circuit Court of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, at the Courthouse in Jackson in front of Circuit Judge William L. Syler.

Knoblauch was charged with plotting the death of Orville Meyer, 56, of Cape Girardeau. Knoblauch was arrested after a week-long investigation by the Missouri Highway Patrol, the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department.

Meyer was alive and unharmed after the plot was thwarted.

The investigation began on August 17, 2000, when a confidential informant reported to an undercover officer with the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force that Ralph John Knoblauch was wanting to find a hit man to kill someone. Later that day, at 9:00 a.m., after arranging for surveillance by other officers and the tape-recording of the meeting, the undercover officer and the confidential informant met with Knoblauch at Bettie’s restaurant, 302 Morgan Oak, in Cape Girardeau. During the meeting, the confidential informant introduced the undercover officer as a hit man and Knoblauch hired him to kill Orville Meyer. Knoblauch told the undercover officer that he was angry with Meyer for allegedly stealing things from him. Knoblauch agreed to pay $1,000.00 for the murder. The undercover officer had initially sought $5,000.00 for the killing, but dropped his price because the confidential informant had reported that Knoblauch was also negotiating with a "crack head" about doing the killing, so the undercover officer wanted to make sure he was the low bidder for the job. Knoblauch instructed the undercover officer to make sure to tell Meyer that "this is for John Knoblauch" before he killed him. Knoblauch provided the undercover officer with the name, address and physical description of the intended victim and agreed to pay a down payment of $500.00 before the murder and an additional $500.00 afterward.

At a second taped meeting at 11:30 a.m. the same day, the undercover officer asked Knoblauch to show him where the intended victim lived. Knoblauch drove the undercover officer past Meyer’s home at 103 Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau and pointed out Orville Meyer, who was sitting on the porch. During the second meeting, Knoblauch paid the undercover officer the $500.00 down payment. Also during this meeting, Knoblauch suggested blindfolding Meyer, gagging him, and torturing him with a knife to force him to reveal what he had done with a ring he had allegedly stolen from Knoblauch. Knoblauch made it clear, however, that the hit man was to kill Meyer even if he revealed what he had done with the ring: "If he tells you where it is, still do it." Knoblauch also suggested the use of a silencer on the gun.

On August 23, 2001, at 2:30 p.m. the undercover officer met again with Knoblauch, this time at the parking lot of The Huddle House Restaurant on Nash Road in Cape Girardeau County. The undercover officer reported that the murder had been done and showed Knoblauch a staged photograph of Meyer lying dead in his house. Knoblauch, who was being videotaped, grinned at the sight of the "dead" body and laughingly complimented the hit man on a job well done. He paid the remaining $500.00 and offered to throw in a meal at The Huddle House as a bonus.

Immediately afterward, Knoblauch was arrested in the parking lot of The Huddle House restaurant by officers who had been conducting surveillance. He has remained in custody since that time.

Conspiracy to commit murder is a class B felony, carrying a range of punishment of 5 to 15 years in prison. Knoblauch pled guilty under an agreement with Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle that the prosecution will recommend a sentence of 10 years in prison.

Sentencing is set for August 20, 2001 at the Courthouse in Jackson in front of Circuit Judge William L. Syler.

"This case illustrates one of the fringe benefits of having the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force in place," said Swingle. "They can do more than just drug cases. When a tip like this comes in and you need a scruffy-looking undercover officer to pose as a criminal, the Task Force can supply local law enforcement with both the undercover officer and the high-tech surveillance equipment on short notice. The Task Force is a real benefit to the community."