S1, E3 A Murder at Mazzio's

June 13, 1996 started the same as every other day in Lebanon, MO. People traveled to their jobs at several local factories. Parents shuffled children to daycare for the work day. Restaurants began to open their doors. The community of Lebanon did not expect to be rocked by such a brutal crime but that's exactly what happened that day. 

Mazzio’s Pizza sits next to the Lebanon City Cemetery.

Lisa Lawson, the on again, off again girlfriend of Ulysses Ray Deckard, better known as Ray worked at Mazzio’s Pizza. Now based on information I have gleaned regarding this case and all the individuals involved, the least amount of information can be found about Lisa. Her relationship with Ray, I believe we can assume was probably rocky at best. I don’t think that any relationship that is described as on again, off again, sometimes you’re a live in girlfriend, is probably not the healthiest type of relationship to be in. While Lisa does play a huge part in what happened at Mazzio’s that day, she isn’t the center of this story.

Wade Hisey, a manager at Mazzio’s pizza, was described as having a close friendship with Lisa. Friends and coworkers said that Wade was just the kind of guy that listened when people needed to vent. This empathy caused a problem with Lisa’s boyfriend Ray. 

Listen Now!

Wade Hisey at his high school graduation. He had just completed seminary.

Ray, by all accounts, was a volatile angry person. If you’re willing to go to the lengths he did on this day, you have to have something going on. Four months prior to this fateful encounter between Wade Hisey and Ray Deckard, Ray had verbally confronted Wade about his relationship with Lisa. Obviously Ray was not ok with that relationship, whatever it looked like, and he told Wade that “if he didn’t leave Lisa alone that he would kill him.”

Wade didn’t know that Ray would follow through on this threat, but sadly that is exactly what happened. And we’ll have more about that after a word from this week's sponsors. 

On June 13, 1996, Lisa asked Ray to move out of the home they shared together. I’m sure you can all imagine how well that went over. Obviously if we’re threatening male co-workers of Lisa, Ray isn’t going to let this end quietly. Strangely Ray did begin to make preparations to move out of the shared home. At some point, Ray left the shared home and immediately made his way to Lisa’s parents home. It was reported that Lisa’s brother had borrowed a single barrel, 12 gauge shotgun from him for turkey season and he had gone to retrieve it. Ray also reportedly test fired the shotgun at some point during this day before the incident. After taking back the shotgun Ray also reportedly went by his body shop to get a screwdriver to take apart a water bed. After getting these items Ray returned back to the shared home of him and Lisa and reported that he grabbed several other guns from the home and placed them in the trunk of his car. Ray then recalled moving the shotgun to the front seat of his vehicle at this point. At 11AM, Ray drove Lisa to work at Mazzios Pizza. 

Ray reported that when he returned back to the shared home, he drank a few beers, played basketball with some neighborhood kids, and then began to watch television. 

In a court document we were able to locate regarding Ray and the crime, it says that after Ray returned home and piddled around, watched all that, Lisa’s sister, Christy Rogers, informed Ray that Wade Hisey intended to take “her and Lisa’s daughter “cruising that night.” Ray became very upset and Christy reported that at this time Ray punched a television and cracked the screen. 

Ray, obviously a very angry person to begin with, was witnessed by the sister taking the shotgun he had retrieved earlier from Lisa’s parent’s home from the trunk of his car and placing it on the front seat. I need to pause here and remind everyone that this statement from Lisa’s sister directly contradicts what Ray said in another court document. If you remember, Ray reported that the shotgun was already laying in the front seat. I think we are all pretty clear about where this is going. I mean we’re on a podcast called Myths, Monsters, and Murders so….

Ray, at this time, decides to drive to Mazzio’s Pizza. At approximately 2PM Ray arrived at Mazzios. Lisa spotted Ray pulling up outside. She decides to step outside and talk to Ray in the parking lot. Ray began to question Lisa about whether or not the information her sister had told Ray as true. Lisa denied knowing anything about “cruising” with Wade Hisey.

Can we all just take a minute to appreciate the fact that in 1996 the term cruising was being used. I’m assuming it means the same thing that it meant whenever I was growing up. You’re just driving around town right?

Obviously, Ray did not believe Lisa. Ray took this opportunity to retrieve the shotgun from the front seat. . He entered the restaurant and began to confront Wade Hisey. Now at this point, the gun was not pointed at Wade but Ray did approach Wade where he was standing behind the counter next to the register. Ray began to yell at Wade and tried to convince him to step outside with him. The court document specifically makes a point to say Ray’s tone was not conversation and was very angry. 

Clearly Wade was like no way. I’m not going outside with you, because honestly WHO WOULD?! If someone with a shotgun is yelling at me trying to get me to come outside I am NOT going outside, period. 

Eventually Lisa steps in and attempts to intervene to deescalate the situation. Ray shoves her out of the way. Then Wade’s sister, Wanda Nguyen, steps in to try to help and Wade shoves her out of the way. All I can say here is that they are both lucky. Wade’s sister is so incredibly lucky considering what Ray did next. And so is Lisa. 

Wade then begins to reach for the phone. Ray then raises the shotgun, points it at Wade’s head, and tells Wade in very direct, and highly inappropriate language, “you going to pick up that fucking phone, I’m going to blow your fucking head off.” Despite Wade placing the phone back on the receiver, Ray did exactly what he had been threatening to do. On June 13, 1996 Ray Deckard shot and killed Wade Hisey. 

Wade was beloved by his many friends and family. He had just completed seminary, and received his reverend’s license. To say that his future was promising is an understatement. 

Ray Deckard’s prison photo.

After shooting Wade, Ray went on the run. It’s been reported by an inside source that has a personal connection to Ray that after running and hiding Ray called his sister, Juanita from a pay phone. We don’t have any information regarding why exactly it took place during that conversation but it’s been said that Juanita was able to convince Ray to turn himself in. After turning himself in, Ray did make a statement to the police and during it he claimed he did not think the shotgun was loaded when he pointed and pulled the trigger. 

Ray’s sister, Juanita Deckard was the sole survivor of the Frozen Tear’s murders that happened in a nearby town in 1977.

Ray was charged with one count of murder in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. He currently resides in the Missouri Department of Corrections at Western Missouri Corrections Center in Cameron, MO. Someone in our Facebook group said something about him getting out soon. Trust me when I say he isn’t getting out anytime soon. All his appeals have been denied. While I wish this was the end of our story for Ray but he truly is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to messed up stuff. 

In 2013 Ray Deckard once again made news from behind bars. While incarcerated in Potosi Correctional Center, Ray Deckard became engaged to a woman named Michelle Nichols. As anyone who has been married in Missouri knows, and I’ve done this twice now so I’m well versed in the process, both parties HAVE to sign the license in the presence of the Recorder of Deeds or of someone acting in that capacity. I specifically remember when I got married in Greene County I had to do the whole she-bang. Go to the Recorder of Deeds office, raise my right hand and swear I wasn’t related to him. Obviously Ray isn’t able to leave the correctional center to go to the office to sign anything. I have to question Michelle’s judgement based on who she has chosen to marry but I will say I am impressed with her persistence. 

During this time, Judy Cresswell Moyers was the Recorder of Deeds for Washington County. Michelle requested that Judy travel the 3.3 miles from Washington County Courthouse to Potosi Correctional Center to go witness Ray’s signature herself. Judy was like no. It’s not happening. I’m sure she was far more professional about it than I would be. After refusing to go to the correctional center, Michelle said ok then, what about a signed affidavit or some other documentation from Ray to prove he’s signed the marriage license. Judy said no. That wouldn’t work either. At this point Michelle had run out of options. She wants to marry Ray, although I cannot imagine why, but she’s been blocked at every avenue so she decides her only choice is to sue Judy Moyer. 

Now I’m not trying to say Judy Moyer is purposely trying to prevent Michelle from marrying Ray. I honestly think in Judy’s mind she believes she is following the law because reality is the state of Missouri has laws for these kinds of things. They have laws dictating you to go about getting a marriage license to get married so I don’t think she just woke up one day and said hey look, I don’t want these two people to get married. I think she thinks in her mind this is what the law tells her so she’s going to follow it. 

As someone who doesn’t speak legal from what I can gather from the court documents regarding this particular case, both Judy and Michelle agree that the judge had to be the one to make a decision and tell Judy how to proceed. So Michelle sues Judy saying that the Missouri statute dictating how signatures on marriage licenses must be witnessed by either the Recorder of Deeds or their deputy, or whatever is unconstitutional towards incarcerated individuals. Michelle has the fundamental right to be married under the 14th amendment. So the requirement for witnessing signatures obviously impedes Michelle’s ability to get married to Ray. Fortunately, Judy and Michelle agreed so no hearing was required for this case but the judge did agree. He found that the statute was unconstitutional and relieved Judy of the requirement of herself or her deputies witnessing signatures in person on marriage licenses for individuals incarcerated in Washington County. The judge ordered that written proof as to the authenticity of the signature was enough to allow an incarcerated individual to be married. There was even a new form created to satisfy the burden of written proof. It requires the warden or the warden’s designee to sign authenticating the signature. So if you are an incarcerated individual in Washington County and you’ve been allowed to get married while incarcerated in Washington county after 2013 you have one person to thank, Ray Deckard. 

And I know none of that had anything to do with the original case of the murder of Wade Hisey, BUT I did find it very interesting.

#truecrime #truecrimecommunity #truecrimepodcast #murder #crime #podcast #truecrimeaddict #serialkiller #serialkillers #truecrimejunkie #horror #murderino #podcastersofinstagram #mystery #unsolved #truecrimeobsessed #killer #truecrimefan #truecrimememes #creepy #unsolvedmysteries #podcasts #tedbundy #paranormal #scary #criminal #history #death #lebanonmissouri #mythsmonstersmurders