Court Docs Detail Mother, Grandfather Murders

By Mike Perleberg Cody Wayne Booth and Margie Lynn Thompson are accused of the murders of Faith Craig and Walter Bryant, Jr. (Dearborn County, Ind.) - A man and woman accused in the murders of Faith Craig and Walter Bryant, Jr. told police they needed money to buy drugs to keep from getting “dope sick”, so they killed and robbed the victims. Dearborn County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens and Indiana State Police announced Monday that Cody Booth and girlfriend Margie Thompson have been charged with two counts of Murder, two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Murder, two counts of Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (level 2 felony), and two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery (level 2 felony). Thompson made her initial appearance in Dearborn Circuit Court on Monday and was ordered held without bond. Many of Bryant and Craig’s relatives and friends were there to show support for the victims. RELATED: Family Issues Statement On Faith Craig And Walter Bryant Jr. Murders Booth will be extradited to Indiana from a jail in Kentucky to face the charges soon. The details of the murders are graphic and unsettling. After his capture in Somerset, Kentucky on January 20 – the day after the victims’ bodies were discovered in their home on Douglas Drive in Aurora – Booth allegedly admitted to the killings. According to a probable cause affidavit prepared by Indiana State Police Detective Grant R. Martin, police were asked to respond to the Craig and Bryant home on January 19th after Walter had not been seen since earlier in the week. A Dearborn County Sheriff’s deputy went into the home to find Bryant’s body lying at the bottom of the basement stairs. Craig’s body was found sitting in a chair in the basement. Walter Bryant’s car was missing from the residence. So were Cody Booth and Margie Thompson. The two were found in southern Kentucky in that stolen car the next day and taken into custody. In an audio and video recorded interview with state police detectives, Booth acknowledged that he killed his mother and grandfather with Thompson’s help. Booth told investigators that he and Thompson woke up early on January 17 feeling “dope sick.” He began thinking of a way to get drugs in order to keep from getting sicker. He had a belt and crawled up behind his mother, who was sitting in a chair texting, intending to strangle her. He couldn’t go through with it and went upstairs to retrieve a large butcher knife. Booth told police he set the knife in a chair next to his mother. He sat on her lap, then told her he was sick and he loved her. “You are getting ready to do something you don’t want to do,” Craig asked. “Yes,” said Booth, as he put his mother into a headlock and covered her mouth to keep his grandfather from hearing her scream for help. Craig bit Booth’s finger. Booth told investigators that is when Thompson grabbed the butcher knife and stabbed Craig “a couple of times.” Booth said he told Thompson that they had to kill his grandfather. Bryant was about to leave to go have coffee with friends when Booth asked for money, but the grandfather said he didn’t have any and advised Booth to detox. As Bryant was about to go down the basement steps, Booth said, he pushed him “with everything he had.” Bryant moaned at the bottom of the stairs as Booth turned him over. Thompson then came and stabbed Bryant one time. They took $180 from Bryant’s wallet and rings and other jewelry from his dead mother. They couple then went to the Colerain area of Cincinnati to buy drugs. Upon returning, they gathered many other items from the home to sell for drug money. The items included Bryant’s Purple Hearts, other military medals and two guns. They again left to pawn off those items, but not before Booth put a fake note in Craig’s hand “about them having Booth” – an attempt to make it appear someone else had robbed the home. Returning to the home once again, the couple removed the knife from Bryant’s chest, rinsed the blood from it, and hid it under a freezer in the basement. They later went to Cincinnati attempting to cash a $1,000 check that Booth wrote to Thompson from Bryant’s bank account. Booth and Thompson were again at the Douglas Drive home to get property to sell for drugs when Faith Craig’s husband, Daniel Craig, pulled into the driveway at around 2:00 a.m. Booth retrieved a house phone, dialed *67 to mask the number, and called Daniel Craig. He advised he needed a ride from another location in order to get Craig away from the home. Continuing his confession to detectives, Booth stated he and Thompson attempted to remove the bodies from the home, but could not get them up the stairs. They had planned to put the bodies into Bryant’s car and deposit the vehicle into the Ohio River. On Friday, they pawned more stolen items, including a television and golf clubs, for drugs and money. Later Friday, Booth and Thompson drove to his father’s residence in Somerset, Kentucky. They got $230 from Booth’s father, drove back to Cincinnati to purchase drugs from a friend, and spent the night at a Florence motel. Booth said he awoke on Saturday, January 20 to learn from the news that Walt and Faith’s bodies had been discovered. He stated “It was time to hit the road.” The two stopped at a rest area where they threw away a checkbook, garage door opener, and other property belonging to Bryant. As they were driving south, Booth’s father called him crying. At that point, he knew the police were onto them. Thompson was also interviewed by state police. She initially denied any involvement in the deaths of Craig and Bryant. Detectives took her to the home where the murders were committed and asked more questions. Thompson began to corroborate much of what Booth had told them about the killings. RELATED STORIES: Family Issues Statement On Faith Craig And Walter Bryant Jr. Murders Son/Grandson, Girlfriend Charged With Aurora Double Murder Services For Two Murder Victims Purple Heart Veteran, Daughter Identified As Double Murder Victims Two Arrests Made In Connection With Aurora Double Homicide