Judson Hoover: Man accused of killing his wife admits guilt
Child told school counselor his father murdered his mother, court documents state
NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WAVE) – A New Albany man confessed to the murder of his wife in front of their son in August.
Judson Hoover, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of murder in Floyd County Superior Court Thursday. He entered a plea agreement with Floyd County Prosecutor Chris Lane for the death of his wife, Rebecca Hoover.
Rebecca Hoover was last seen on Aug. 2, New Albany police said. After further investigation, detectives believe that was the day she was killed inside her home.
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Later that month, Hoover’s eight-year-old son told an elementary school counselor that his father had killed his mother in their basement.
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According to the probable cause affidavit, their son saw his father stomp on his mother 20 times and stab her in the stomach with a set of keys until she was bleeding and unconscious. It also stated that detectives found what appeared to be blood spatter on the bottom set of steps leading to the basement.
In court, Hoover told the judge he strangled his wife to death. Then put her body in a 55-gallon container at a storage unit about five minutes from their home on Mount Tabor Road.
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Police said video surveillance showed Judson Hoover moving what appeared to be a body on Aug. 4, minutes after police searched his home. The same surveillance camera showed Judson Hoover moving a 55-gallon container from the storage unit using a rented Dodge Caravan on Aug. 28.
After police questioned Hoover about his wife’s disappearance, he confessed to moving her body to another storage unit in Louisville on Strawberry Lane. This was where police found Rebecca’s body on August 31.
Two days after his arrest, Hoover pleaded guilty to his wife’s murder. In court, he said he entered a plea deal to keep his son from testifying in court.
Wave 3 News spoke to Rebecca’s long-time friend, Chris Karraker. He said the couple had an abusive relationship for years.
“I’m sure you can imagine very horrible things in your head that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy and she probably had every one of them done to her, times ten,” Karraker said.
Court records revealed Judson Hoover was arrested for domestic abuse in the presence of a child younger than 16 years old and strangulation in April 2020. Another document showed he filed for divorce the day after she was murdered.
Hoover’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 2. Ultimately, the Floyd County judge will decide his sentence.
Wave 3 News reached out to Rebecca’s family but they did not want to speak publicly at this time. Her friends have created a fundraiser to help support her three children. Find it here.
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