In a bizarre turn of events, a 1993 murder case has finally been solved thanks to self-incriminating remarks and flatulence during a suspect’s interrogation. Loril Harp, the suspected killer, seemingly implicated himself in the Missouri homicide while talking to himself and an unknown person during a phone call after detectives left the interrogation room. Videos obtained by Digital via public records request captured Harp lifting his butt off the chair, breaking wind, and yelling to himself, denying his involvement in the murder. These incriminating comments and hard-to-ignore farts during the “dead time” of the interrogation proved vital in closing the case.
The murder in question involved the killing of Steven Weltig, a 40-year-old store owner in Arnold, Missouri. Detectives Brett Ackermann and Josh Wineinger revisited the case in 2020, reviewing several hours of the 2015 interview. The phone call made by Harp, in which he made statements like “I’m going to jail,” further indicated his guilt. Convinced by the evidence, the detectives brought Harp back for questioning in 2020 when he was in failing health.
During the interrogation, Harp played dumb and evaded questions for over three hours. However, toward the end of the interview, Ackermann confronted Harp with the knowledge that he was present at the time of Weltig’s death and that a gun had been fired. Harp initially denied shooting Weltig, claiming self-defense. But as the detectives pressed further, Harp eventually confessed to hitting Weltig and fleeing the scene through the store’s side door. Harp even admitted to having blood on him, although he tried to backtrack and attribute it to a fistfight.
Following the interrogation, Harp was arrested on September 30, 2020, and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. However, he died a year later at the age of 69 from an undisclosed illness, bringing an end to the case.
The unconventional nature of this case, with flatulence and self-incriminating remarks playing a significant role in solving a 27-year-old murder, has captured public attention. While it may seem unusual, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable paths investigations can take and the unexpected evidence that can lead to justice being served.
