More Questions Than Answers In Williams Arson Investigation:

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How reliable are canine accelerant dogs? Greene County chief assistant prosecutor Dan Patterson says they are a useful tool in prosecution. Defense attorney Andy Hosmer says the "hits" the dogs make need to be backed up by lab analysis.

Greene County chief assistant prosecutor Dan Patterson confirms that lab tests conducted on the clothing of David Williams, the man accused of setting a fatal house fire that claimed the lives of three children on March 15th, reveal that there was no presence of accelerants either on the clothing or "burn patterns" that were found in the West Olive house that trained accelerant dog Ashes hit on.

Hosmer says that the National Fire Protection Association's handbook recommends lab tests confirm the existence of an accelerant that is recognized by an accelerant dog. "The lab results that the state says they have gotten back from the crime lab are inconsistent with what the their trained dog told them."

In December of 1991 a similar fire took place in Corsicana, Texas. Cameron Todd Willingham was convicted of starting a fire that killed his three children. Arson investigators testified that their were "char patterns" and accelerants used to start that fire and that Willingham was responsible for the fire that claimed his children's lives.

Prosecutors offered Willingham a plea deal, if he would plead guilty they would take the death penalty off the table and offer him a life sentence. Willingham, who maintained his innocence, rejected the state's offer and took his chances with the jury. It was a gamble that ultimately cost him his life.

In August of 1992, after deliberating less than an hour, the jury convicted Willingham of three counts of capital murder.

In January of 2004, Willingham was scheduled to be put to death, Dr. Gerald Hurst, a scientist and fire investigator, who has been successful in helping overturn numerous arson convictions was contacted by friends and relatives of Willingham. Hurst agreed to have a look at the case pro bono. Hurst concluded that the Willingham fire was accidental and that the burn patterns and accelerant found at the scene was the result of flashover.

Lawyers for Willingham filed Hurst's findings with the Texas Board of Pardon and Parole. Attorney's say the board received the findings, but never reviewed them before denying Willingham's plea for clemency. He was executed on February 17, 2004.

Hosmer says, "An innocent man in Texas was executed for a similar situation. We don't want to see an innocent man go to jail here for something he didn't do."

Prosecutor Patterson has choices when Williams appears for his preliminary hearing on May 3rd. Either drop the charges and let investigators continue their investigation, proceed with the case or amend the charges. Judge Mark Powell denied Hosmer's motion to have his client's bond reduced from $250,000. "He really didn't offer a reason why," Hosmer said.

Hosmer says, "We will pursue whatever options we have available to us. My client maintains his innocence. We haven't made a decision as to how we will proceed."

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UPDATE 03-16-13:

Violet Watson-Williams has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her former landlords Richard and Nancy Preffitt  The lawsuit, which seeks damages in excess of $25,000, says the Preffitt's “owed a duty” to Watson and her children when they rented them a house that should have been safe. It alleges that the landlords failed to inspect and make repairs to the home prior to Watson and her children moving in.

The house had “faulty wiring” and did not have the appropriate number of smoke detectors and/or failed to have functioning smoke detectors in the residence, according to documents filed in the lawsuit filed last week in Greene County

Jury Convicts Mountain Grove Man Of Cousins Murder:

Benny Volner

A Texas County jury has convicted a man from Mountain Grove of first-degree murder for the beating death of his cousin two years ago.

Prosecutor Chris Wade proved to the jury that 32 year-old Benny Volner beat his cousin, Dustin Skaggs, 20, to death because he believed Skaggs was having an affair with his estranged wife. The jury also convicted Volner of robbery and armed criminal action.

Skaggs' body was found in the trunk of his car in Laclede County, submerged in a water-filled quarry near the small town of Phillipsburg in February of 2008.

Three other relatives of both men were charged with Skaggs' death. Prosecutors say Dennis Volner, of Hartville believed his estranged wife, Julia Monnahan and Skaggs were having an affair. Wade alleges that Benny Volner, along with Dennis Volner and Elvis Volner hid outside Skaggs' home and waited for him to leave work about 3:00 in the morning. Anderson says Julia Monnahan pretended she had car trouble and flagged Skaggs down with a flashlight. Investigators say when Skaggs stopped to help Monnahan he was ambushed.

Court documents allege that Elvis Volner hit Skaggs in the head over 20 times with a metal pipe. The young man's body was then stuffed into the trunk of his car which was driven to Laclede County, and pushed off a hill into the quarry.

Dennis Volner pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his part in his cousins death last November and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The case against Elvis Volner, of Mountain Grove is still pending. Julia Monnahan, of Hartville is to appear in a Douglas County courtroom next week on Apr. 6th.

Benny Volner, whose case was moved to Texas County on a change of venue, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19th.



*****Greg Brock contributed to this story

Christian County Prosecutor Schedules News Conference Regarding Rufus Church Death Investigation:

Christian Count prosecutor Ron Cleek

Christian County prosecutor Ron Cleek has scheduled a news conference for 9:30 a.m. April 7th pertaining to the investigation into Rufus Church's death.

Church was found shot to death one year ago in a service bay of the Ozark Dodge, a car dealership that he co-owned.

Rufus ChurchRufus Church

The coroner for Christian County, Arthur Adams, amended Church's death certificate a few months after the civic leaders death from homicide to pending investigation.

Last year Cleek said that his office was running down leads that had taken them to Jefferson City and out of state. Since then, the Highway Patrol has released very little information about the ongoing investigation into Church's death investigation.

One Year After Businessman Found Shot To Death, Investigation "On Going"

Rufus Church (family photo)

It was one year ago today that a businessman from the Ozarks was found shot to death in a service bay of the car dealership he owned.

An employee reporting to work at Ozark Dodge in the early morning hours of March 23, 2009, discovered 56 year-old Rufus Church dead from a gunshot wound to the chest, a shotgun lay not far from the man's body.

Some have called Church's death a suicide, others a murder--but what we do know is that the circumstances surrounding Church's death remain cloaked in mystery. The official cause of death was changed on his death certificate, and authorities remain tight lipped about their investigation.

The Ozark Police Department brought in investigators with the Highway Patrol early on in the investigation to utilize resources not readily available to small departments. The day after Church was found dead, a search warrant was served at the dealership. The search warrant indicated that investigators recovered broken glass inside the dealership. Detectives also collected blood, hair, guns, shell casings, cell phones, computers and other documents looking for leads in the case.

Ozark Dodge image courtesy of Christian County Headliner

The day after Church's death Ozark police chief Lyle Hodges said, " We are investigating Mr. Church's death as a homicide, but we haven't ruled out suicide."

An insider close to the case says, "It is very unlikely that the shotgun blast that killed Church was self-inflicted." That same insider notes that suspicious death investigations can turn on a dime.

Several days after Church's death the car dealerships that he co-owned, Ozark Dodge and Heritage Chrysler-Jeep, were liquidating their, inventory. By the end of April, Church's business partner, Don Burk, and his widow, Kay Church, announced that the tanking economy forced them to close the dealerships.

In May of 2009, the coroner for Christian County, Arthur Adams, amended Church's death certificate saying, "I amended the original death certificate that I signed regarding Rufus Church from homicide to pending investigation after information was brought to me by the Highway Patrol and the Ozark Police Department."

In July ballistic and toxicology tests were back from the state crime lab in Jefferson City. By this time Highway Patrol Sgt. Dan Bracker had become the spokesperson for all departments regarding the investigation into Church's death. "I cannot comment on what the evidence or results are because it involves an ongoing investigation."

Six months after Churchs death, Bracker said the patrol had four to five investigators on the case, "We have recently followed up on some leads out of state." I believe the public wants investigators with the patrol to come to the right conclusion...we owe that to the family and to the citizens of Missouri,"

Christian County prosecutor Ron Cleek said at the time that authorities continue to follow leads and asked that the public be patient with investigators. "I know this case is very frustrating for the public, but we need to let trained investigators do their jobs. People think that in the era of CSI that suspicious death investigations can be wrapped up quickly.....that's not always the case."

Christian County prosecutor Ron Cleek

On November 17, 2009, Church's business partner, 49 year-old Donald R. Burk, was killed in a fiery car crash just to the south of Urbana. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol crash report, Burk was southbound at 6:08 a.m. when his vehicle crossed the center line and collided with a tractor trailer operated by Donald Creekmore, 51, of Joplin. Police say that Burk's 2006 Jeep landed in a ditch where it caught fire and burned the man to death.

Christian County Prosecutor Ron Cleek told The Ozarks Sentinel at the time, "Nobody was taken off the radar in the Rufus Church death investigation, and that included Burk."

Sgt. Bracker told the Sentinel last week that the patrol is at a standstill in the investigation, "We need a break in the case and are asking that anyone who may have any information regarding Mr. Church's death to call us."

Cleek says he plans to hold a news conference next week to discuss developments in the investigation.

Jennifer Bagley Charged With Two Counts Of Involuntary Manslaughter In Son's Drowning Deaths:

Jennifer Bagley

Earlier this month a Texas County coroner's jury found Jennifer Bagley was negligent in the drowning deaths of her two sons last summer--today she was charged with invountary manslaughter for their deaths.

Seven year-old Jesse James Bagley and his brother, four-year-old Wyatt Earp Bagley, were found dead in the Big Piney River near Licking that runs behind the family's former rented home.

Jesse James (l.) and Wyatt Earp Bagley

In testimony presented at the coroner's inquest it was revealed that Jennifer Bagley told investigators that she was making a beaded key chain for her boyfriend in the kitchen, which is a seperate building from the main house, while the kids played outside the afternoon her sons went missing.

She also told investigators that she and her father had been arguing about the condition of the house that day. Bagley told cops that her daughter, 3 year-old Belle Starr, came into the house soaking wet and told the grown ups (Jennifer Bagley and the children's grandparents) that her brothers were in the river.

Texas County prosecutor Mike Anderson says that there was confusion as to just how long it took Bagley to begin looking for her son's. He says, "The search for the boys didn't start until it at least 20-30 minutes or up to an hour after her daughter told her the boy's were in the river, and it was between 1 and 2 hours before she called 9-1-1 for help."

One of the investigators testified that Jennifer talked "matter-of-factly" when boys were gone. Said she had bad feeling....like the one she had when she found out boyfriend had cheated on her.
Searchers combed the area around the house and the river for over twelve hours before the boys were located by a helicopter about 7 a.m. in the river.

Authorities were familiar with Jennifer Bagley and her children as there had been at least 5 hot line calls made about the children. The calls started in 2005 saying that the children were living in filth and were covered in bug bites, and one was recent as last year Belle Starr was not being fed. A neighbor told cops that the Bagley children came to his house at least two times...his house is at least 3/10th's of a mile from where they lived. That same neighbor told investigators that he heard a "different" kind of scream coming from near the river the day the boys went missing.

After the deaths of her brothers, Belle Starr was placed in protective custody by The Department of Social Services. She is now living with a foster family.

Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson says, "We're waiting on the judge to sign the arrest warrant. I have sent the deputy who was the first one at the scene of the drowning to Salem to pick her up. We should have her in Texas County by the end of the night."

Springfield Homicide Suspect Captured In Boone County Arkansas:

Jefferey Todd Wooderson

Detectives from Springfield are questioning a man in Boone County Arkansas in connection to a homicide investigation.

Jefferey Todd Wooderson, 42, was arrested last night following a high speed chase that began in Taney County and ended in Boone County. Wooderson is charged with aggravated assault, felon in possession of a firearm, driving while intoxicated and felony fleeing. When Wooderson was arrested, he was in the victims 2002 Ford Explorer according to Springfield police Lt. David Millsap.

Family members of Gary Lee Russell, 57, had gone to his Florida Street home Saturday after not hearing from him from some time, according to Millsap. "It appears that he had been dead for some time. I can't discuss the cause of death at this time because I have not seen the autopsy results, but it did not appear that Mr. Russell had been shot or stabbed."

No charges have been filed against Wooderson in connection to Russell's death as of noon and, the investigation is ongoing according to Millsap.

UPDATED: Celebration Turns To Tragedy In Springfield:

Kody Ray

A birthday celebration turned into tragedy yesterday (03-21-10) at a home on Chicago Street in Springfield yesterday.

Authorities say that Kody Ray, 17, was transported to a Springfield hospital after being shot at least twice in the doorway of 716 W. Chicago---allegedly by a high school classmate. Ray died from his injuries this morning. The teens are students at Hillcrest High School.

Sources say that a fight at school may have led to the boy's murder after some students were suspended or expelled. Investigators say they are following up on that lead, and others.

Students are out of school this week and a spokeswoman for Springfield Public Schools says that they do not comment on disciplinary issues involving students, but are discussing how to deal with the situation as students return to classes.

Ray had recently moved to the Ozarks from New York.

Witnesses told police that they heard at least four shots come from a house across the street where a party was taking place for a 5 year-old.

None of the five children who were at the birthday were injured. However, frantic children only added to the confusion in the investigation and parents were contacted by authorities to come and pick up the children who were at the celebration.

Police believe Ray was a targeted victim and the shooting was not a random act.

Lt. David Millsap says, "We are continuing to develop leads at this time and have no one in custody connected to the shooting."

James C. Duke, III and Jordan Lee Martin, both 18, have been charged with first degree murder in connection with the killing of Ray.

According to court documents, fights between Martin and Ray at Hillcrest High School and Battlefield Mall led to the shooting. Martin had made threats against Ray, because he was afraid he was a snitch.

Prosecutors allege that Duke fired the shot that killed Ray, but Martin provided the gun and was waiting in a car near the crime scene when the shooting took place.

Joplin Police Officer Busted For Allegedly Possessing Child Porn:

A police officer from Joplin is facing charges of possessing child pornography.

Authorities arrested Jonathan D.White, 23, Webb City, at his home after receiving a complaint about the officer and his relationship with a 17 year-old girl. Authorities found several digital images of the girl in various stages of undress on White's cell phone, according to Joplin police Lt. Brian Lewis.

White, who has been with the department for a year, was placed on administrative leave. He has bonded out of the Jasper County jail. His next court date is April 13th.

Capital Murder Trial To Begin Monday In Carroll County:

Marty Alvard

A capital murder trial that has been postponed by weather several times this year alone will get underway tomorrow morning (03-23-10) in Carroll County Arkansas.

Prosecutor Tony Rogers says that Marty Alvard,'s trial is scheduled for two weeks. Alvard's lawyer will use a not guilty by mental disease or defect defense for his client.

Prosecutors say that Alvard, 40, allegedly stabbed his mother-in-law Janice Sue Allen, 60, in the neck and then hit her over the head with a baseball bat after "she gave him the cold shoulder " and he "just snapped" on April 25, 2008, according to court documents.

Jo Ann Alvard told investigators that she was in the bathroom when she heard "a loud kthunk sound"....like someone being hit and heard her mother moan.




Jo Ann told investigators that "she was afraid to come out because she didn’t know if he was going to hurt her. Jo decided to come out of the bathroom and Marty met her at the door and pulled her into her bedroom. Jo advised that once in the bedroom Marty jerked her pants down and he was going to make her have sex with him. Jo asked Marty if he had done something to her Mom, just so she would have sex with him, and Marty didn’t answer."


She says she screamed out for her upstairs neighbor for help but that her estranged husband pushed her onto a bed, covered her mouth and nose and said, "she couldn’t do that and if she did it again he would kill her."


Jo Ann told cops "that she told Marty that if he wanted to have sex let’s just do it and Marty said no, if you are going to stay alive we have to leave this apartment now. Jo asked where they were going to go and Marty advised he didn’t know, but if she was going to stay alive she was going to have to leave."

Allen, 60, of Berryville, was staying with her daughter to help her as she recuperated from brain surgery.

Jo Ann Alvard told cops that Marty Alvard forced her to leave the apartment, and when she attempted to yell at a passerby to check on her mother but her husband threatened to kill her again.

The couple then drove to Marty Alvard's place of employment in Golden, Mo., where he told his boss "he had done something bad," according to court records. Alvard's boss told them "they needed to go to the church and meet with the Pastor in Oak Grove."

On the drive to Oak Grove, Jo Ann Alvard rode with her husband's boss, Wendell Parton, who allegedly wouldn't let her use his cell phone so she could get help for her mother. When they got to the church, Alvard's employer convinced him to hand over a loaded gun he was carrying because he thought Alvard might try to commit suicide.




Charging documents show that a 9-1-1 call came into the Gren Forest police department about 1 p.m. from Marty Alvard who said that, “messed up and his mother-in-law was 10-7”. 10-7 is local law enforcement code....10 means out of service or deceased.


When cops entered Jo Ann Alvard's apartment they found Allen sitting in a chair, her body patially covered by a throw rug. Her glasses were on the floor nearby, an aluminum baseball bat was propped up against a wall near a door.

In recent motions filed with the court, Marty Alvard’s lawyer, Bill James of Little Rock, asked a Judge Kent Crow to limit the amount of testimony and opening statements about a previous incident involving Marty Alvard and a knife. Judge Crow said he would limit what Prosecutor Tony Rogers could say about the incident in his opening statement and rule further as testimony was entered into the record.

Crow made similar rulings on several other motions including one pertaining to Jo Ann Alvard’s journals and information about Marty Alvard’s alleged pornography habits.

Rogers filed one motion asking Crow to order Alvard's parents, Billie and Connie Alvard, to answer questions from the prosecutor under oath in deposition prior to trial.

Prosecutors believe that control issues led Alvard to murder Allen. Court records say that Marty Alvard was “losing control” of his wife, who had “walked out on the defendant.”

McNeeley Pleads Guilty For Her Role In Rash's Murder:

Alexandria McNeeley

One of six people charged with the murder of an elderly man in December of 2008 has pleaded guilty for her part in the crime.

Prosecutors charged Alexandria McNeeley with first-degree murder for the beating and stabbing death of her stepfather Stephen Rash. McNeeley's boyfriend, her mother, her mother's boyfriend and two other people the group allegedly hired to kill Rash face those same charges.

However, prosecutors amended the charge against McNeeley to conspiracy to commit murder on Thursday March 18, 2010, and she pleaded guilty to the amended charge. McNeeley has turned state's evidence and was released from the Greene County jail last year after her life was threatened by a jail inmate.

Greene County chief assistant prosecutor Dan Patterson says his office will defer sentencing, and McNeeley will remain free, until the trials of her alleged co-conspirators are completed.

Wiiliams Granted Furlough To Attend Private Funeral Service For Fire Victims; Sheriff Says Not Enough Staff To Transport:

David A. Williams

The man who police say started a house fire that killed three children on Monday will be let out of jail to attend a private service for the kids on Sunday, if Greene County deputies have the manpower to transport him.

David Alan Williams, 26, Springfield, was formally arraigned on first-degree arson with injury or death charges Thursday via video link from the Greene County jail. Williams pleaded not guilty to the charges, then asked Judge Mark Powell to either lower his $250,000 bond, or let him out of lockup long enough to attend the funerals of his fiances children.

Part of the conditions of Williams temporary release from jail is that he have no physical contact with anyone and that he be immediately returned to the county jail following the one hour furlough. His bond will remain in place.

Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott issued the following statement this afternoon:

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office will not have adequate staffing onSunday, March 21st, to facilitate the transport of inmate David Williams to a private funeral service. Associate Circuit Judge Mark Powell ruled Williams could attend the private service if the Sheriff’s Office had enough staff to transport Williams to and from the service while notallowing contact with anyone other than law enforcement.


There will be no further comments regarding this by the Sheriff’s Office.




Alexis M. Watson, 7, and Devin L. Watson, 4, died Monday morning at St. John's hospital. Terry Watson Sr., remains in a burn unit there. Kelsey Watson died Monday evening after doctors declared her brain dead and her mother had to make the excruciating decision to remove her from life support.

The children's mother, Violet Watson, says in a raw interview that she does not believe that the man she loves had any involvement in the fire that claimed their lives. She says Williams was the best father they ever knew.

Public funeral services for the Watson children are scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at Klinger-Cope funeral home in Springfield. Terrie Watson Sr.'s condition has been upgraded to serious. He remains hospitalized in the burn unit at St. John's.


Williams preliminary hearing has been set for May 3rd at 10 a.m.

Alleged Stalker Stabs Couple Outside Eureka Springs Hotel:

Lauren Gay Casper

A woman from North Carolina who has allegedly been stalking a Carroll County, Ar man since college has been charged with two counts of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing the man and his girlfriend Wednesday.

Authorities say she Lauren Gay Casper, 29, stabbed Paul Crider, 31, and Amy Fisher, 38, outside the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs after the couple agreed to meet with Casper to talk things out.

1886 Crescent Hotel

Crider told cops that when the two women got in the vehicle Casper attacked Fisher with a knife, repeatedly stabbing her. When Crider got out of the vehicle to help Fisher, Casper stabbed him as well.

Within minutes of the assault, a local couple called police and reported that a woman driving a white car with North Carolina plates had hit their car on Spring Street and fled. When cops ran the plate they found that the car was registered to Jeffrey Casper of Cary, N.C., who is Lauren Casper’s father. Authorities say Jeffrey Casper, who has been cooperating with them, told them he did not know his daughter had taken his car.

Crider called police the next day after he received an email from Casper asking him to come alone to meet her at the Fly Rod Inn just west of Eureka Springs.

Authorities arrested Casper Thursday at the Fly Rod Inn without incident.

She's being held in the Carroll County jail on $200,000 bond.

Williams Arraigned On Arson Charges, Asked To Be Let Out Of Jail To Attend Children's Funeral's:

David A. Williams

The man who police say started a house fire that killed three children on Monday wants to be let out of jail to attend their funerals.

David Alan Williams, 26, Springfield, was formally arraigned on first-degree arson with injury or death charges this morning via video link from the Greene County jail. Williams pleaded not guilty to the charges, then asked Judge Mark Powell to either lower his $250,000 bond, or let him out of lockup long enough to attend the funerals of his fiances children.

Williams told Judge Powell that he had been released on bond before and had never run---Powell told Williams that he needs to consult with his attorney before he would rule on the matter.

Williams attorney, Andy Hosmer, is scheduled to address those motions tomorrow morning (03-19-10) at 8:30 a.m.

Alexis M. Watson, 7, and Devin L. Watson, 4, died Monday morning at St. John's hospital. Terry Watson Sr., remains in a burn unit there. Kelsey Watson died Monday evening after doctors declared her brain dead and her mother had to make the excruciating decision to remove her from life support.

The children's mother, Violet Watson, says in a raw interview that she does not believe that the man she loves had any involvement in the fire that claimed their lives. She says Williams was the best father they ever knew.

Funeral services for the Watson children are scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at Klinger-Cope funeral home in Springfield. Terrie Watson Sr.'s condition has been upgraded to serious. He remains hospitalized in the burn unit at St. John's.

Fugitive On The Run For Ten Years Captured In Springfield::

Rex Eugene Peck

US Marshals led Southern Missouri Fugitive Task have arrested a man who has been on the run from the law for the last 10 years.

Rex Eugene Peck was arrested about 8:15 a.m. March 18th outside of McDonalds at Johnston and Kearney in North Springfield. Peck has been wanted for escape from electronic confinement since August 4, 2000, by Missouri Department of Corrections.

Peck assumed the identity of an old friend, Jack Gruber, who is now deceased, using his social security card and California Drivers License to hide out for the past ten years. He had been paroled on May 25, 2000, by the Missouri Department of Corrections while serving a sentence for two counts of burglary, one from Greene County and one from Miller County.

Peck has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1950 including 30 or more arrests, and has served time in both federal and state correctional facilities for burglary and conspiracy to commit bank robbery.

The man had just ordered breakfast and was walking back to his car when he was stopped and arrested. Peck initially provided deputies with false identification when asked who he was, but admitted his true identity when confronted.

Rex Eugene Peck is being held in the Greene County Jail awaiting transfer to Missouri Department of Corrections.

UPDATED: Man Charged With Arson In Deadly House Fire; ATF Joins Investigation:

David A. Williams

The site of an early morning house fire Monday (03-15-10) that left three children dead and left their grandfather clinging to life with critical injuries is now a crime scene.

David Williams, 26, the fiance of the mother of the three children killed in the blaze, was charged Wednesday with first-degree arson with injury or death.

House fire image courtesy of KSPR

Springfield police Lt. David Millsap says that the state fire marshal, the Springfield Fire Department and police are investigating the fire. Millsap says that a search warrant was to be served to collect suspicious evidence from inside and outside the home Monday afternoon and an accelerant dog, Ashes, was brought into to assist investigators. On Tuesday, investigators with the ATF joined the investigation at the request of the Springfield PD. That agency has the resources available to help investigators reconstruct the blaze.

Alexis M. Watson, 7, and Devin L. Watson, 4, died Monday morning at St. John's hospital. Terry Watson Sr., remains in a burn unit there. Kelsey Watson died Monday evening from injuries sustained in the blaze.

Millsap says firefighters found something suspicious while rescuing the victims about 4:30 a.m. at 1711 W. Olive.

The probable cause statement filed with the charges says that firefighters "observed suspicious burn patterns which led them to believe the fire was intentionally set through the use of an accelerant and not accidental."

State Fire Marshal Investigator Chris Thompson says that his trained accelerant dog alerted to three different locations within the house to the presence of accelerants. There is no word, at this point, as to whether or not the burn patterns or presence of accelerant could have actually been caused by flashover. Flashover is the point at which radiant heat causes a fire in a room to become a room on fire.

Investigators say Williams was alerted to the fire by Terrie Watson. Williams told investigators that he and Terrie Watson went back into the burning home in an attempt to save the children from the second floor but the heat from the fire and the tremendous smoke associated with it drove him out of the burning home.

Prosecutors say that Williams is lying. The fire marshal and arson investigators say there was no soot the man's clothing or skin, and no one smelled smoke on him. However, they do say that Ashes alerted to the smell of accelerants on the jeans that Williams was wearing, which he said he put on after the fire started.

Firefighters used thermal imaging equipment, which an anonymous citizen donated to the department, to locate the three kids and their grandfather on the second floor of the house that the family moved into just a few weeks ago. The children's mother, Violet Watson, and Williams were on the first floor and escaped. The home is a total loss and a house next door sustained heavy damage to it's siding from the fire.

Springfield Fire Chief David Hall says, "It was one of the most difficult calls for for my firefighters to deal with, even for my seasoned firefighters, because of the ages and numbers of victims of the fire. They all need specialized help and attention immediately.

Springfield Fire Chief David Hall

Hall says that his office conducts "Critical Incident Stress Debriefing after every fire. The first level is peer assessment. We check on their well being immediately after a fire, and again at the beginning of their next shift. The second level is help from a mental health professional if needed. We're a tight brotherhood and we want to be there for each other."

Violet Watson issued a statement late Tuesday, "Nobody knows what I am going through. I am the one that just lost three children. "

Watson is standing by her fiance saying that Williams would never hurt her children and that he was the best father they ever knew.

Funeral services for the children well be held on Monday March 22nd at 2 p.m. at Klinger-Cope Funeral Home.

Williams is a registered sex offender, he was convicted of statutory rape in 2003. The probable cause statement indicates he was 17 years-old when he was charged and 18 years-old when he pleaded guilty to having consensual sex with a 13 year-old girl. He served 5 years in prison at the Farmington Correctional Facility for the crime before he was released in 2008.

A fund has been set up to help the victims of the fire. Donations can be made to Victims of Olive Street Fire at any Springfield Commerce Bank location.

Fordland Teacher/Coach Charged With Statutory Sodomy:

Darren Rose

A teacher and baseball coach at Fordland High School has been charged with one ount statutory sodomy and two counts of attempted statutory sodomy.

Webster County prosecutor Danette Padgett says that two boys allege that Darren Rose, 33 of Fordland, put his hands down their pants and touched their genitals while they stayed all night at the mans house in October and November of 2009.

Investigators say they were contacted by the Superintendent of the Fordland School District in February after the students accused Rose of molesting them. Rose has been placed on administrative leave by the school district.

Rose, who is due back in court on on April 19th, was released from the Webster County jail after posting $50,000 bond. Part of the bond conditions are that he not step foot on school property or be near a playground. He was also ordered not to have any contact with his accusers.

Webster County Man Charged With Sodomy Of Half-Brother:

Jessie Riefler

A 19 year-old man Webster County man has been charged with five counts of first-degree statutory sodomy for allegedly sexually molesting and raping his 10 year-old half brother.

Webster County Sheriff's Investigator Rick Hamilton writes in the probable cause statement used as the basis for the charges, that the little boy told his mother that he had a secret. He then told his mom and that Jessie Riefler had performed several sex acts with him last summer.

Riefler is being held in the Webster County jail on $100,000 bond and is due back in court on March 22nd.

Elderly Arkansas Man Charged With Child Rape:

An elderly man from Arkansas has been charged with three counts of rape following a joint investigation by the Marion County Sheriff's Department and Arkansas State Police.

Sheriff Roger Vickers says Loy Gene Cunningham, 84, Yellville, was charged after allegations made by juveniles surfaced against the Yellville man.

Cunningham is being held on $150,000 bond in the Marion County jail.

Federal Charges Filed Against Greene County man In Bank Heist:

Curtis L. Ralls

A man who led authoities on a high speed chase Monday March 15th after allegedly robbing a Springfield bank is facing federal charges for the bank heist.

Curtis L. Ralls, 43, of Greene County, was charged with bank robbery in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield. Ralls remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Friday, March 19, 2010. Ralls pleaded guilty in state court today (03-16-10) to driving without a license and was sentenced to 48 hours in jail for that crime.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Ralls entered Empire Bank, 3555 N. Glenstone Ave., in Springfield, at approximately 3:24 p.m. Monday, March 15, 2010. Ralls allegedly gave a note to a bank teller that said, “I have a gun! Give me the money.”

A witness told police officers he saw a man run behind a nearby Kum-N-Go gas station, then drive off in a red Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck with no license plates. The witness also told police officers that the truck had wood or lumber in the back.

A description of the vehicle was broadcast and a Greene County Sheriff’s deputy identified a vehicle matching the description. A pursuit ensued, the affidavit says, and when the vehicle was stopped, Ralls was arrested. Inside the car, cops found a jacket, sunglasses and gloves that matched those depicted in bank surveillance footage of the robber and described by witnesses. Stuffed inside one of the gloves was $1,720, the amount stolen from Empire Bank

Christian County Assessor Wants New Judge To Rule On AG Petition:

Sandra Bryant-Littles

It appears that Christian County Assessor Sandra Bryant-Littles has responded to a petition to remove her from office by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.

Bryant-Littles also had until the close of business Friday to file a response to a petition seeking her removal from office and sources within the Christian County courthouse say she wants a new judge to rule on that petition.

Last month Christian County Circuit Court Judge Mark Orr recused himself from the case and special judge Craig Carter was appointed to rule on the petition. On March 2, Carter granted the petition by Koster's office to remove Bryant-Littles from her elected position.

Bryant-Littles was federally indicted by a grand jury and charged with four counts of mail fraud last October for allegedly falsifying personal property tax assessments on she and her husband, Lonnie Utah Littles property and their Poco Cala Ranch in Clever.

Attorney Roger Wall, who is also a former judge in Douglas County, filed that paperwork at the end of the business day in Christian County.

Roger Wall (KY3)

Wall, has had his own share of problems with the law. He was indicted by a federal grand jury for child pornography in 2005, but because of repeated delays on the part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a federal judge ruled that Wall's right to a speedy trial was violated and dismissed those charges with prejudice. That means that those charges against Wall CANNOT be refiled.

The Ozarks Sentinel was unable to obtain a copy of the response by the conclusion of the business day Friday. We have faxed a Sunshine Request to the circuit clerks office. We will have the response and reaction from Attorney General Koster available for our readers Monday.

UPDATED: Coroner's Jury Finds Mother Negligent In Bagley Brother's Drowning Deaths:

Jesse James (l) and Wyatt Earp Bagley

A coroners jury in Texas County has ruled that Jennifer Bagley was criminally negligent in her son's drowning deaths last summer.

Seven year-old Jesse James Bagley and his brother, four-year-old Wyatt Earp Bagley, were found dead in the Big Piney River near Licking that runs behind the family's former rented home. The family has since moved to Dent County according to Sheriff Carl Watson.

A coroner's inquest is conducted in a trial like setting where the county coroner calls witnesses and is in charge of conducting the inquest. Jurors can also ask questions of those called to give testimony.

In this case, Texas County Coroner Tom Whittaker sat a jury of three men and three women who are Texas county residents to hear the evidence in the case. Texas County prosecutor Mike Anderson assisted Whittaker with the proceeding.



Texas County prosecutor Mike Anderson (courtesy of The Houston Herald)


The jurors came back with their decision one hour after hearing about two and a half hours of testimony.





Anderson says, "I will take the jury's recommendation and wait about a week or 10 days to determine how I will proceed in the case." Anderson can file manslaughter charges or endangering the welfare of a child charges against Bagley.

Last August, Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson said that the two brothers and their little sister, 3 year-old Belle Starr, were unsupervised and playing near the river when the boy's somehow got swept away.

Sheriff Watson, the first responding officer, an investigator with the Highway Patrol and Whittaker were called to give testimony this morning. Jennifer Bagley's testimony was entered through investigative records.



Sheriff Carl Watson

In testimony presented today, Jennifer Bagley told investigators that she was making a beaded key chain for her boyfriend in the kitchen while the kids played outside the afternoon her sons went missing. She also told investigators that she and her father had been arguing about the condition of the house that day. Bagley told cops that little Belle Starr came into the house soaking wet and told the grown ups (Jennifer Bagley and the children's grandparents) that her brothers were in the river.

Authorities were familiar with Jennifer Bagley and her children as there had been at least 5 hotline calls made about the children. The calls started in 2005 saying that the children were living in filth and were covered in bug bites, and one was recent as last year Belle Starr was not being fed.

Photo of inside Bagley home

Anderson says that there was confusion as to just how long it took Bagley to begin looking for her son's. He says, "The search for the boys didn't start until it at least 20-30 minutes or up to an hour after her daughter told her the boy's were in the river, and it was between 1 and 2 hours before she called 9-1-1 for help."

One of the investigators testified that Jennifer talked "matter-of-factly" when boys were gone. Said she had bad feeling....like the one she had when she found out boyfriend had cheated on her.
Searchers combed the area around the house and the river for over twelve hours before the boys were located by a helicopter about 7 a.m. in the river.

After the boys death, Belle Starr was placed in protective custody by The Department of Social Services, she is now living with a foster family.

Sheriff Watson says, "There was no doubt she was criminally negligent....we thought that from the beginning of the investigation." He adds, "Should she be charged we will go and get her no matter where she is."


****Link to Jennifer Bagley's myspace page

Joplin Murder Suspect Apprehended By US Marshal's In Texas:

BYRON D. LANG (mug shot Howard County, TX)--CAPTURED BY US MARSHALS & Big Spring Texas police

A murder suspect wanted by Joplin police has been captured by US Marshal's and cops in Big Spring, Texas.

Big Spring police chief Lonnie Smith says Byron D. Lang "Was a passenger in a car driven by a female friend yesterday afternoon." He goes on to say that officers with his department and Marshal's conducted a felony traffic stop on that vehicle and took Lang into custody without incident.

Byron D. Lang mug shot Joplin PD

Chief Smith says, "The friend claims she did not know that Lang was wanted. His (Lang's)girlfriend, or wife, was here a few months ago and stayed with her too."

Lang was charged with second-degree murder for the September 2008 beating death of two-year-old Kyler DeShawn Jones. Prosecutors allege that Lang beat the little boy to death because he wet his pants.

On September 2nd, 2008, the toddler was taken to St. John’s Express Care at 1313 S. Range Line Road unconscious and not breathing by Lang, who was his babysitter. The little boy was pronounced dead about 15 minutes later.

Kyler DeShawn Jones

Investigative reports say that the little boy had multiple bruises covering his body. An autopsy performed on the toddler was inconclusive, however, the coroners ruling revealed that Kyler's death wasn't an accident. After a five-and-a-half month long investigation authorities said the cause of little Kyler's death was blunt force trauma to the abdomen.

In August of 2009, Judge Richard Copleand found that the state had met the burden of probable cause in the case and bound Lang over for trail.

In September Lang was formally arraigned in circuit court and was released on $50,000 bond. By October, Lang had jumped bail and was on the run from the law. That same month a Jasper County judge issued a capius warrant for Lang's arrest and the bonding company that secured Lang's $50,000 bond had to post a $1 Million dollar bond for Lang. In December Joplin PD put out a news release asking the public for help in apprehending Lang, who was thought to be in the Joplin area for the Christmas holiday's.

The Public Information Officer for the Joplin Police Department, Lt. Brian Lewis, says "Lang will have to be extradited back to Missouri and I believe Jasper County deputies will go and get him."