(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) – One of the two men charged in the homicide of a local bar owner confessed to the shooting, according to court records.

Reginald L. Singletary, 27, told police after he was arrested in Sedalia Tuesday evening that he shot William “Blaine” Whitworth with a handgun “at the request of Ziyad T. Abid in exchange for money from Abid,” according to court records.
Singletary and Ziyad T. Abid, 23, were both charged today with first degree murder and armed criminal action. Abid was arrested shortly after midnight Wednesay.
Both are being held in the Johnson County Jail on $1 million bond each. Abid is an international UCM student from Saudi Arabia and had to surrender his passport, any documents allowing travel outside of the U.S. and his pilot’s license, according to a news release. Singletary and Abid face up to life in prison if convicted. Both men were living in Warrensburg.
Whitworth was shot and killed in his driveway Saturday at 1006 Sunflower on the east side of Warrensburg. Police responded to a call about shots fired at 9:30 p.m. Police found Whitworth, 25, dead at the scene. Police confirmed that multiple shots were fired.
Warrensburg Police Chief Bruce Howey announced the arrests Wednesday morning and credited the work of the Missouri Rural Major Case Squad.
“That’s the awesome power of the Major Case Squad,” Howey said, noting the squad logged some 490 hours since Tuesday.
Warrensburg Police Chief Bruce Howey said in a news release that the squad followed 112 leads and will reconvene tomorrow to continue the investigation.

Whitworth operated two bars in downtown Warrensburg, Molly’s at Holden and East Pine streets and Bodie’s on West Pine Street. He graduated from UCM with a degree in safety management.
The number of people responding to a Facebook post to say they would attend a candlelight vigil tonight continues to grow. Some 913 have responded as of 10 a.m. today. The vigil is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. tonight and is to begin at Molly’s with Whitworth’s mother, Diane Whitworth, lighting the first candle at 9:30 p.m.

Police are blocking off the streets downtown to accommodate those wishing to pay their respects.
“We are blocking the streets so they will have a nice quiet place so they can have their candlelight vigil,” Howey said.
Police ask that anyone with more information in the case should call the police department at 660-747-9133.

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