Former Jasper County Sheriff's Deputy Will Stand Trial For Conspiracy To Commit Murder:

A former Jasper County Sheriff's deputy has been bound over for trial for allegedly conspiring to have the mother of his child killed.

Authorities in Jasper County and Joplin teamed up with the ex-wife of Casey Simmons to bug her car in order to catch Simmons plotting to kill Kimberlee Wilson LeClaire.

LeClaire at one time had been Misty Simmons best friend.....until she got pregnant by him. But hard feelings and anger were not going to let Misty Simmons be part of a plan to kill LeClaire.

On October 30, 2008, Misty met Casey in a cemetery in Carterville, it is there that Casey Simmons laid out his plan to get rid of Kimberlee LeClaire.

He suggests that chloroform could be used on LeClaire, "the only hang-up is getting the body - her, to where we want to dispose of her."

Misty chimes in that she is worried about helicopters with heat seeking radar and cadaver dogs. He explains that's why, "packaging" the body is important.

Casey wants to use, "numerous, numerous layers," of Saran Wrap before stuffing LeClaire's body in a garment bag and filling the bag with lime, "to mask the smell."

Casey Simmons tells his former wife, "I ain't going to prison forever."

What Casey Simmons didn't know was that his former field training officer in Jasper County, Detective Mike McDonald, was waiting in the cemetery and was part of the team that had wired Misty's car for sound and video.

McDonald testified at Simmons preliminary hearing last week (1/8/2009) that Misty Simmons had met with him in mid-October in Webb City to tell him that Casey wanted to kill LeClaire and, gave him permission to wire her vehicle.

McDonald had worked with the former deputy in the patrol division and on the SWAT team. Simmons was employed at the Jasper County Sheriff's Department from January 2005 until September of 2008 when he was fired for violating department policy.

Casey Simmons tells Misty that as he is killing Kim he will tell her, "I'm killing you so I can go be with Misty."

He's not sure how he will kill her, but breaking her neck, hitting her over the head with a rock, and strangling her are all possible scenarios in Casey Simmons plot to kill LeClaire.

Disposing of the body quickly is a concern for Simmons who decides that somewhere, "really rural," would probably be best.

On November 4th, the day that most adults in the United States were out electing a new President, Casey Simmons was allegedly at the local Wal-Mart buying a tarp, duct tape, a pair of athletic shoes (at one point on the tape Misty says he should by them one size too big,) and trash bags.....prosecutors say it was all part of the scheme to get rid of his former lover.

On the same day that Casey Simmons went shopping for part of his alleged kill kit, investigators made the decision that they needed to ask for an arrest warrant for the former law enforcer.

The judge in the case ruled that the state does indeed have enough evidence against Casey Simmons to proceed to trial. He will be formally arraigned in Circuit Court on January 16, 2009.

Lawyers for Simmons, who has been in jail since his arrest, asked that his bail be reduced from $100,000. Judge Richard Copeland denied that request.

Simmons, 26, remains in jail in another county in southwest Missouri for safety reasons.