KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Edgerton man is charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the death of a 27-year-old man in March.
Joseph Andrew Wacaster, 31, was identified to be the roommate and boyfriend of the victim, who police said was Cade H. Blackburn, by the victim’s family.
Court documents state when officers were called March 30 to the residence in the 500 block of West Edgewood Drive, Blackburn was located deceased and it was clear he had been stabbed.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the body in the bathroom and noted the temperature indicated he had been dead for some time.
Blood was discovered in the bathroom as well as in a bedroom.
Deputies also noted the body was covered by a “Giant Sorry Classic Family Board” and a Bible that did not have any blood on it, per the affidavit.
The alleged murder weapon — a knife — was also located near the residence’s attached garage.
The parents of Blackburn said they received cryptic messages from their son’s phone they believed were sent by Wacaster.
A text to Blackburn’s father read, “Let me know when ur ‘meltdown' starts,” and a text to Blackburn’s mother contained images of the “Sorry” board, according to the affidavit.
The concerning texts led Blackburn’s father to check his son's location as the family shared information on “Find My iPhone.” He then found the location pinged Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
The father said the pair often visited a famous restaurant nearby, and Wacaster previously lived near the Oklahoma border.
When deputies called Wacaster, he said “he was not okay and there was nothing for him because he lost everything," per the court document.
He then said he should have talked to someone sooner because he “let his intrusive thoughts ‘win.'"
Wacaster also alluded over the phone to the incident before saying, “I killed him,” and explaining his actions were "cowardly" and "quick."
Further, Wacaster told deputies he used a knife, killed Blackburn while he was asleep and was unsure why he did it.
Wacaster was taken into custody in Oklahoma. He is currently being held at the Johnson County Detention on a $1 million bond.
His next hearing is set for Thursday, May 2.
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