Podcast Summary: Small Town Murder – "The Killer, The Kitty & The Combine – Maryville, Missouri"

Hosts: James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman
Date: January 17, 2026
Episode: 666

Episode Overview

In this especially dark (but still hilarious) episode of Small Town Murder, James and Jimmy dive into an “insane, crazy” true crime tale from Maryville, Missouri. The small town’s quirks and its troubled reputation set the stage, but things turn truly bizarre (and tragic) when a local farmer orchestrates one of the show’s most unusual murders—using a combine harvester, with a dead cat as a prop. The episode is loaded with the hosts’ signature banter, small-town roast, irreverence, and a deep dive into both the crime and the surrounding legal mayhem.

Table of Contents

• Welcome & Travelogue: Maryville, Missouri
• Background: The Taylors’ Story
• The Crime: What Happened?
• Investigation & Confession
• Trial, Defense, and Verdict
• Notable Quotes & Moments
• Timeline / Timestamps for Key Segments

Welcome & Travelogue: Maryville, Missouri

[06:44]

• The hosts set the scene in Maryville, NW Missouri—pop. 11,070, “Title Town” (for questionable reasons).
• James and Jimmy roast local history, median income ($39k), and the town’s unique culture—multiple incorporations/disincorporations and a reputation for both corrupt officials and bizarre scandals, including the 2012–13 rape case and Netflix’s Audrie & Daisy documentary.
  • “What a terrible story.” —Jimmy [10:44]
  • “A parade. A baby show. Come out and look at the baby, see if you want one…” —James [13:36]
• Amusing local fare is detailed: checkers tournaments, magic acts (shoutout to Keith Leff, “the magician”), and “first responders eating contests”—ripe for their ridicule.

Background: The Taylors’ Story

[15:27]

• Bill Taylor: Born 1957, classic farm upbringing, described as a very American man.
• Deborah Jo (Wasson) Taylor: Born 1956, teacher, animal lover, community volunteer—“perfect teacher lady.”
  • “She loves animals and small children. Nice lady. Perfect teacher lady.” —James [20:15]
• Married in 1979, two kids (Laurie b. 1983, Doug b. 1985); run a prosperous family farm just south of Maryville.
• Deborah’s growing depression and anxiety by 1994—possibly connected to work stress and marital difficulties—leads to counseling and a leave of absence.
  • “She’s crushing it, and people telling her not good enough.” —James [22:51]

The Crime: What Happened?

[27:22]

• November 10, 1994 (~5pm):
  • Bill instructs his children to call for help—he and his wife Deborah have allegedly been run over by a combine harvester (John Deere Model 6620).
• Responders find Deborah dead, her body crushed, right arm extended toward a dead black cat. Bill is also injured.
  • “Her crushed body was found… reaching for a dead black cat. The cat is not a victim of the combine… but it’s just dead.” —James [29:44]

[35:00]

• Initial Story:
  • Bill claims a tragic accident: while backing out the combine, he accidentally ran over Deborah, injuring himself trying to save her.

Investigation & Confession

Early Suspicions

[36:11]

• Local sheriff, Ben Espy, notes “some things didn’t fit”—evidence on scene doesn’t match Bill’s story.

The Shocking Truth

[37:05]

• Confession to his brother Wayne (and police):
  • Bill admits he killed the cat with a hammer, placed it under the combine, called Deborah out under the guise of saving the animal, and used a length of twine tied to the combine’s controls to run her over by remote.
  • [38:05] “He threw the cat under the combine to lure his wife underneath… yanked the rope, got the twine out, and did this… He told his brother everything.” —James
• Also admits to considering killing his two children as part of the same “clean sweep.”
  • “He talked about killing Laurie and Doug as well as his wife after this and the cat. A clean sweep. Yeah, and one big thing. Let’s kill them all.” —James [44:22]

Forensics

[46:17]

• Autopsy finds Deborah was beaten before being run over—facial wounds, crushed pelvis, broken ribs precede combine injuries.
  • “They find lacerations to her forehead, bruising to her eye—caused by blunt force… The facial injuries were not consistent with combine at all.” —James [47:10]

Trial, Defense, and Verdict

Pre-Trial & Evidence Drama

• Warrant issues: Key physical evidence (twine, cat, measurements at the scene) threatened by lack of proper search warrant.
  • “Why would you not get a goddamn warrant?” —James [50:48]
• Measures ultimately re-taken after a year—combine had been moved to father’s shed; prosecution scrambles but gets enough key evidence in.

Defense

[67:47]

• Bill's defense claims severe depression, delusional disorder made him believe his wife was cheating and planned to divorce/take the kids. They float insanity.
  • “He could not conform his conduct to the law. He was, in a word, insane.” —defense [69:01]

Prosecution

• Shows premeditation, deliberate setup (cat, twine, remote combine), plus evidence from Deborah’s face—she was attacked before being run over.
  • “He tried to lure her with the cat. She didn’t buy it. So he beat the shit out of her and threw her under the combine and then ran her over.” —James [59:48]

Children’s Testimony

• Both kids testify bravely. Laurie (12) made the emergency call, Doug (10) was involved in trying to cut twine from the machine, and was told by Bill to stage the cat’s body by Deborah’s arm.
  • “He sent the 10-year-old to put the cat closer to this poor child’s dead mother.” [72:35]
  • Both affirm Bill had never hurt them before; this was “an aberration.”

Psychiatric Testimony

• Bill’s psychiatrist claims fluctuating sanity, delusions; state experts counter that depression does not equal legal insanity, and Bill was aware enough to plan and cover up the crime.

Verdict & Sentencing

• Guilty of First-Degree Murder
  • Life without parole.
  • “You, sir, may fuck off. Life without parole. Eat dicks, Bill.” —James [81:50]
• Bill’s statements at sentencing show no true acceptance: “To this day, I don’t know why and how this happened. My wife’s death was a terrible tragedy that shouldn’t have happened.” [81:20]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the bizarre method:
  • “You don’t drive a machine—a knife van, a crop knife tank—without looking at the mirrors!” —Jimmy [35:45]
• On Bill’s confession:
  • “He told his brother everything.” —James [38:05]
  • “He used her love of animals to kill her. That’s fucking wild.” —Jimmy [37:40]
• Reaction to the whole case:
  • “This, by the way—what the fuck? We’ve never had a combine as a murder weapon. Ever.” —James [39:30]
• On the dead cat:
  • “I killed that black cat. I killed it with a hammer and put it under the combine.” —Bill (relayed by James) [37:04]
  • “And now the coroner’s gonna examine the cat. The human coroner.” —James [41:20]

Timeline / Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|:-------------:| | Maryville, MO background & town roast | 06:44–14:35 | | Taylor family introduction | 15:27–20:24 | | Deborah’s depression & counseling | 20:24–25:00 | | The crime: combine incident revealed | 27:22–35:06 | | Early investigation; Bill’s confession | 36:47–44:22 | | Trial & defense strategy | 67:47–69:01 | | Children’s testimony | 69:12–73:07 | | Psychiatric debates & verdict | 74:40–81:50 | | Sentencing | 81:20–81:50 |

Tone, Style, and Takeaways

The hosts blend true crime expertise with biting humor and empathy, especially for the victims and the children in this case. They eviscerate small-town bureaucracy and the killer’s thinking (“Eat dicks, Bill”), but show real care for those left behind. Their sarcastic asides and vivid analogies (“combine—a tank made of knives”) keep the grim story engrossing yet palatable, never flinching from the case’s tragedy or oddity.

Summary for Listeners

This episode is one of Small Town Murder’s wildest. If you want a chilling story of rural murder (by combine!), family tragedy, and legal screw-ups, told with brilliant comedic timing and surprising humanity, this is the case for you—and one you’ll not soon forget.