Authorities Arrest Man Accused Of Murdering Wife At Ramada Inn:

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Thomas Phillip Brown (mug shot TCSO)

Police in Branson have arrested a man from Palm Springs, California who is accused of gunning down his wife last week in a hotel room in the tourist town.

An intense search for Thomas Phillip Brown had been underway since his wife, Marilyn Jean Brown, 63, was found shot to death in room 182 at the Ramada Inn Resort and Conference Center on Sunday (02-24-13.). 

The Brown's checked into the hotel on February 21st and were due to check out on the 24th.  A housekeeper discovered the woman's body when he went to clean the room.  Authorities believe she had been dead for at least twenty four hours before her remains were found.

Authorities discovered sixty eight year-old man's vehicle in front of the Hampton Inn at 3695 W. Highway 76, which is within a few miles of the Ramada Inn, about 2 a.m. this (02-28-13) morning.

"After conferring with hotel management, Branson Police Department officer’s made entry into the suspect’s room," said Police Chief Ken Crutcher. 

Cops then got a search warrant for the room and Brown's vehicle.  Authorities say the found a firearm in the room.  Ballistic testing will determine if the weapon was used to kill his wife.

On Tuesday, Thomas Brown was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell has asked that Brown be held without bond. 

The couple, who left their home in Palm Springs on Valentines' day, were in the process of relocating to the area from Palm Springs.  Marilyn Brown's daughter told investigators that Thomas Brown did not want to move to Branson. A statement from police says that Thomas Brown was upset that the couple had to reside out of hotel rooms "due to being displaced from the place they had planned to reside."

There is no word on whether or not the family pet, Shiloh, was with Brown when he was arrested.

Update - Brown took Shiloh to an animal shelter in Kansas before returning to Branson, according to a family friend.

UPDATE 06-04-11:  

Brown was ordered to stand trial for his wife's murder after he waived his preliminary hearing.

Galena Woman Charged With Selling Drugs Near Public Housing:

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Barbara Brenda Pike (mug shot SCSO)

The preliminary hearing for a woman from Galena charged with four counts of distribution of drugs near public housing has been set for March 26th.

According to court documents, C.O.M.E.T. officers bought morphine and Xanax from Barbara Brenda Pike, 50, on a Wal-Mart parking lot in Branson West and a public housing complex in Crane on several different occasions last fall.

During one of the controlled buys, Pike brokered a drug deal for another man with the officer for methamphetamine.

Pike, who is also facing two additional charges of distribution and or delivery of a controlled substance, is being held in the Stone County jail on $150,000 bond.

Lampe Man Facing Mutliple Sex Charges For Sexual Assault Of Daughter's Friend:

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Jeffrey Doyel Manley (mug shot SCSO) 

A thirty six year-old man from Lampe is facing multiple sex charges involving an underage girl after the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children launched an investigation into him last month.

Jeffrey Doyel Manley, 36, was arrested on February 26th and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, statutory rape and drug possession.

According to the probable cause statement, an IP (internet protocol) address led The Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children to Manley last month after they received information that he was distributing kiddie porn.

When authorities in Stone County executed a search warrant at 175 Fairwood Road on February 26th, Manley, his 13 year-old daughter and her 16 year-old friend were arriving at the residence.

During the search, investigators found "numerous sexual aids, bondage straps, and young female undergarments in Manley’s bedroom" along with several read/write DVDs.

 "Manley admitted to downloading images of child sexual abuse from the internet, using his laptop computer," the statement reads. "Jeffery admitted to having an active sexual relationship with his daughter's friend, Jane Doe.  Jeffery also admitted to capturing digital images of Jane Doe without her clothing.  Jeffery stated these images were stored on digital media at the residence.”

The same day during a forensic interview with the Child Advocacy Center, Jane Doe disclosed that she had been involved in a sexual relationship with Manley that began when she was 14 year-old.  She described sexual situations with Manley, and said the assaults took place when his daughter "was asleep or in the bath," according to court documents.  She also said she and Manley sent nude pictures to each other via text message, and Manley also video recorded them having sex on his cell phone.  On February 27th, investigators found a digital video that was created on January 2nd showing Jane Doe and Manley having sex.

Officers also discovered several "loose" tablets of Oxycodone and Xanax in Manley's dresser drawer, and a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana and two metal smoking pipes commonly used to smoke pot, according to the statement

Manley, could face up to life in prison if he is convicted of all of the charges against him, is being held in the Stone County Jail on $100,000 bond. 

Suspect In Porter Homicides Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges:

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Tony Lee Friend (mug shot GCSO)

A Springfield man charged in Taney County with murder for the deaths of former Stone County resident Becky Porter and her husband Rusty will spend the next four years and nine months in federal prison.

As authorities were investigating the disappearances of the Porters, who vanished from their home near Willard in April of 2011, they executed a federal search warrant at the mobile home of Tony Friend in Greene County.

Friend, 45, was found to be in possession of ammunition, which is illegal for him to possess as he has convictions of unlawful use of a weapon and domestic assault in Missouri and a conviction out of Arkansas .

The Porter's bodies were found in July of 2011 in rural Taney County on property that Tony Friend was very familiar with. He, his son Phillip, brother-in-law Robert Campbell and cousin Dusty Hicks are all facing murder charges connected to the double homicide. His wife, Windy Friend, is facing conspiracy to commit murder charges.

All of the charges connected to the murders were handed down by a Taney County grand jury.

~UPDATED~Woman Found Murdered In Branson Ramada Inn Hotel Room; Murder Charges Filed Against Husband:

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Ramada Inn Resort and Conference Center in Branson 

Authorities in Branson continue to search for the husband of a woman who was found murdered in a hotel room Sunday (02-24-13) afternoon. 

Police Chief Kent Crutcher says a housekeeper at the Ramada Inn Resort and Conference Center discovered the body of Marilyn J. Brown when he went to clean the room.  It is believed the sixty three year-old woman had been deceased for at least twenty four hours before the discovery.

The couple, who were in the process of moving to the area from Palm Springs, California, had checked into room 182 at the hotel along the 76 Strip last Thursday (02-21-13) and were due to check out on Sunday, according to Crutcher.

Crutcher says there were signs of a struggle in the room, but would not say what they were citing the ongoing investigation.

The housekeeper told a guest that there was a do not disturb sign on the door.  He said when he entered he that he thought the woman was sleeping on her side on one of the beds in the room, but when he got closer he noticed a pool of blood and backed out of the room.  Sources say the woman had been shot multiple times.

Thomas Phillip Brown (Branson PD)

When reached by phone at home late Tuesday (02-26-13) evening, Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell said he had filed first degree murder and armed criminal action charges against Thomas Phillip Brown.  The date of the alleged murder is listed as February 21st, the same day the couple, who both had children from previous marriages, checked into the hotel, according to online court records.

Merrell has requested that Brown be held without bond when he is arrested, according to those same court documents.

Brown, 68, who remains at large with the couples cocker spaniel, was named a "person of interest" in the case on Monday.  He is believed to be driving teh couple's only vehicle, a blue 2006 Dodge Durango, similar to the one pictured, with California plates 5WR-F678.  "We're still looking for him," said Merrell.

Marilyn Brown's daughter told investigators that Thomas Brown, who is known to carry a gun due to his past work as a security guard, did not want to move to the area, according to the probable cause statement.  A statement from police goes on to say he was upset that the couple had to reside out of hotel rooms "due to being displaced from the place they had planned to reside." They also say that it appears that no one else accessed the hotel room without the electronic key cards that were issued to the couple. 

Before they relocated to Branson on Valentine's day, the couple lived in a small rented condo in the Mesquite Country Club for over a decade, according the their former neighbor, Joyce Bacon. 

Bacon said Thomas Brown had been employed as a security guard at a casino until he was promoted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which he left about a year ago.  She said the couple decided to move to the Branson area because the cost of living would be substantially less in Missouri than California. 

Marilyn Brown, who had major health issues about five years ago, loved to cook and share her leftovers and magazines with her neighbors and Thomas Brown was always tinkering with home improvements inside and outside their condo, according to Bacon. 

The former neighbor, who has been in contact with authorites in Palm Spring and Branson, says she believes she would have noticed if there had been any discord between the couple, as they often left their front door open.  "There was zero (yelling)...and I never heard a single cross word between them,"  Bacon said. "I can't in a million years believe it; they were two of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet.  They were happy the day they were moving...they weren't fighting or anything like that." 

The couple, who kept mostly to themselves, didn't have much interaction with neighbors but a lot of people in the gated community knew Thomas Brown from seeing him walking the couple's chubby cocker spaniel, Shiloh, who sometimes wore tiny boots.  "I invited them to a lot of different functions and fundraisers in the community but they never attended any of them.  One day Marilyn said we don't drink and socialize that much...and I never asked them again," said Bacon.

Riverside County, California court records do not show any criminal record for either of the Browns, according to the Desert Sun newspaper.

It appears that the Browns also have ties to El Dorado, Arkansas and Hampton, Arkansas.

  

The last three homicides in Branson occurred at hotels/motels in the tourist town. 

Terry Lynn Huey was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to twenty years in prison for the 2007 stabbing death of Dewayne Anthony Lynn at the Crescent Court Motel. 

Michael Doyel was convicted of federal kidnapping and murder.  In 2008, he transported the dead body of his estranged girlfriend Deborah Jones in a plastic storage container across several state lines before he ended up at the 76 Inn Motel in Branson.  He is serving a thirty year federal sentence for the kidnapping, and if he is still alive after that sentence is served, he will begin serving a life sentence in state prison for Jones' murder. 

In September of 2012, Stewart Hopkins was convicted of first degree murder for the stabbing death of his estranged wife Stacy Birmingham at the Bunkhouse Motel in 2010.  He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. 

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective Sean Barnwell at (417) 337-8593.

UPDATE 06-04-11:

Brown was ordered to stand trial for his wife's murder after he waived his preliminary hearing.

Former Kanakuk Counselor Lee Bradberry Sentenced To Ten Years For Sex Crimes Involving Young Boys:

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Lee Julian Bradberry

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A former camp counselor for Kanakuk Kamp in Branson has been sentenced to ten years in prison for sex crimes involving young boys who attended the Christian based youth camp.

Lee Julian Bradberry, 23, of Auburn, Alabama, was sentenced to four years in prison for sexual misconduct involving a child under fourteen, seven years for statutory sodomy and two ten year sentences for child molestation.  Those sentences were ordered to be served concurrently (at the same time.) 
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Judge Mark Orr placed Bradberry on 120 day "shock" incarceration in a sex offender treatment program.  "The judge will make the determination within 120 days on whether or not he will be placed on probation at the end of the 120 days, or he will continue to serve his sentence," said Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell.

In August of 2011, the boys told caseworkers that Bradberry taught them a game called "baseball" where he grabbed their penis from outside of their clothing and called it, "a grand slam." The boys also said that Bradberry would have them sit on his lap while they attended camp concerts and "he would often place his hand on the inner thigh of the victims and then eventually move his hand upward and rest it on their penis" on the outside of their clothing.

On March 5, 2012, the 12 year-old told authorities that he and Bradberry had engaged in fondling, masturbation and that Bradberry had "attempted oral sex ” with the victim, according to court documents.

The detective said he contacted Kanakuk director Collin Sparks on March 9th regarding Bradberry. Sparks told investigators that he talked with Bradberry, whom the probable cause statement describes as an “ex-employee and camp counselor,” on the phone in February of 2012.

 However, most of the details of what Sparks told the investigator were redacted from the probable cause statement.

The first known trouble of inappropriate sexual activity inside the camp surfaced in 2009 after Peter Daniel Newman, the former assistant director of the camp, was charged with multiple sex charges involving underage male campers.

Peter Daniel Newman will spend the rest of his life in prison

In June of 2010 Newman pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, and three counts of enticement of a child.  He was sentenced to two life terms plus 30 years in prison.

In February of 2011 the first civil lawsuits were filed on behalf of Newman's victims and that case is now working its way through the court system.

In March of 2011, Edward L. Ringheim of Windermere, Florida, was charged with seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious molestation in connection to young boys he transported from Florida to Kanakuk Kamp in Branson.
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Edward L. Ringheim

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Ringheim, worked at Universal Studios and volunteered for K-Life in Orlando. Authorities allege he used free passes to the amusement park as enticement to molest some of the boys he accompanied to Branson.

Doug Goodwin, chief operating officer of Kanakuk, issued a statement after the newest charges were filed, saying Bradberry’s employment was terminated after campers reported “one instance in which (he) behaved inappropriately.”

Bradberry was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday in Taney County, however, that had to be postponed due to a winter storm.  Judge Mark Orr sentenced Bradberry Friday in Christian County.

UPDATED~Stolen Truck Led To Officer Involved Shooting In Springfield:

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It was an investigation into a stolen vehicle that led to a deadly officer involved shooting in west Springfield this (02-22-13) morning. 

The incident began Thursday (02-21-13) evening in the 3100 block of West Chestnut Expressway as officers were investigating some commercial burglaries in the area.  As officers were investigating, they observed a pick-up truck leave a car lot with no license plate and attempted to pull the vehicle over.

The owner of the Miller Auto confirmed that the truck had been stolen.  Other sources say that a fully loaded wepon had been stolen from the dealership as well. 

A little after 11 p.m. (02-21-13), the truck was found wrecked in the 700 block of N. West Avenue.  A witness told authorities that she witnessed someone bolt from the truck - officers then followed footprints in the snow to 2506 W. Grand.  A check the well being call for 2506 W. Grand was logged into police records about 2:30 a.m. 

When Detective Travis Wilson attempted to serve a search warrant at the West Grand address, the suspect shot and him, grazing him in the hip.  Wilson returned fire and is believed to have wounded the suspect.  The man came out later and again opened fire and was killed, according to witnesses at the scene. 

Two other people who witnessed the shooting were questioned by police and released. 

Wilson, who was treated at the scene, has been placed on paid administrative which is typical following officer involved shootings. 

The last time a Springfield police officer was shot in the line of duty was 16 years ago.  That officer is still serving on the force.

UPDATE 02-25-13:

Martin Yail Potts (mug shoto MDOC)

Police say the man who was shot and killed was 29 year-old Springfield resident Martin Yail Potts.

Potts has mulitple convictions dating back to 2002 for burglary, resisting arrest, drug possession, stealing, tampering, property damage, drug distribution and unlawful use of a weapon.

It appears that in all the cases filed against him he entered guilty pleas, according to online court records. 

Sarcoxie School Board Member Arrested For Possessing Kiddie Porn:

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Dr. John Robert Lewis (mug shot JCSO)

Federal charges of possession of child pornography have been filed against a Sarcoxie school board member. 

 

Authorities arrested Dr. John Robert Lewis jusrt prior to a school board meeting on Thursday (02-21-13) evening.  An investigation into Lewis, 67, was launched last October after a group of male high school students told authorities that Lewis had allegedly exposed himself to them while they worked on his farm just outside of Sarcoxie.

The students told investigators that after they had been swimming in a creek on Lewis' property last spring he stood up on an ATV, in which a student was seated next to him, pulled his underwear down and exposed himself to them.

"The students disclosed conversation Lewis had with them about masturbating and how he would touch them on the buttocks when they were working," according to the criminal complaint.

When Lewis was interviewed at his residence on December 5th, "he denied exposing his penis in close proximity to any Sarcoxie high school student that worked at his residence."

When Highway Patrol Sgt. Musche asked Lewis for consent to search his home computer for any images of child pornography, "Lewis stated he had images on his computer that he did not want made public," and refused to let he and another officer consent to search the computers.

After the refusal, investigators secured the house and obtained a search warrant and seized the several computers and electronic storage devices found in the home.

According to court records, Lewis became "adversarial" during the officers visit and was found to have a "very large weapons collection" in his home.

When the computers and electronic storage devices were forensically examined, investigators allegedly found 19 multimedia files of child pornography and 113 images of suspected child pornography. The multimedia files and images depicted primarily male children as young as five years old, according to Tammy Dickinson, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Lewis, who is in federal custody pending an extradition hearing, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Springfield on Wednesday (02-27-13) morning.

Former Sheriff, Deputies To Be Deposed In White Case

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Jessica White

Former Stone County Sheriff Richard Hill and Deputies Brandon Flack and Taylor Jenkins were scheduled to be deposed last week in the case of Crane alderwoman Jessica White.
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White, is facing charges of assault of a law enforcement officer; her husband Jordan and father-in-law Donnie White, were charged with interfering with an arrest and/or resisting arrest after Flack and Jenkins were called to the driveway of the Whites home after a traffic stop last May.
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White's cousin, Brittany Barnett, had been pulled over for a traffic violation. Her husband, Thomas, was arrested on an outstanding municipal warrant out of Crane. When the White's returned from an outing the encountered the officers and the Barnett's in their driveway. 
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The White's claim they were ordered to the other end of the driveway and told not to go inside their home. Attorney's for the White's maintain that there was no reason to detain their clients and that the deputies used excessive for when arresting them.
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Hill made a statement to this reporter that White was intoxicated when she was arrested, White says that is a lie.
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Flack resigned from the sheriff's office last summer; Jenkins is still employed by the SCSO.
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A hearing that was to be held on February 5th was not held and will be rescheduled, according to online court records.

Man From Purdy Sentenced To 20 Years For Fatal DWI Crash That Killed 10 Year-Old:

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Gregory Dean Swaffar (mug shot BCSO)

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A man from Purdy has been sentenced to twenty years in prison for a 2011 DWI crash that killed a ten year-old girl from Washburn.


Barry County Prosecutor Johnnie Cox charged Gregory Dean Swaffar, 28, as a prior and persistent offender after his truck crossed the center line of Missouri  37 about a mile from Butterfield on February 19, 2011, and slammed into a car being driven by Kenneth Kief.

Melissa Kief

Kief, who was seriously injured in the crash, and his daughter Melissa were life flighted to a hospital in Springfield.  Melissa Kief died from her injuries a few days later.  A passenger in Swaffars truck, Sandra Larsen, of Shell Knob, was also seriously injured in the crash.





Swaffars truck following the crash

Swaffar should not have been driving any vehicle at the time of the deadly crash.  In September of 2010, his license was revoked after he refused to take a breathalyzer test.  He was also charged with DWI in municipal court in Cassville in 2010 and in Barry County associate circuit court the same year.

Swaffar was charged with felony murder instead of involuntary manslaughter in this case because of his prior convictions for DWI. 

"It's a terrible thing that his actions devastated both families. He will have to spend the better part of his life in prison paying for a crime that could have been avoided if he simply followed the law,"  Cox said after Swaffar was sentenced in Christian County where the case was moved on a change of venue.

In May of 2011, Kenneth Kief filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit against Swaffar.  He was awarded $1 million dollars for his injuries and $2 million dollars for his daughters death after Swaffar failed to show up for court.
 
In June of 2012, Kief filed a lawsuit seeking the transfer of some real estate holding that Swaffar owns to satisfy part of the judgement.  Judge Jack Goodman is scheduled to hear that case in July in Barry County.

Laughter Sentenced To Prison For Statutory Rape:

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Jacob Clayton Laughter (mug shot SCSO)


A man from Branson has pleaded guilty to statutory rape and has been sentenced to six years in prison.

According to court documents, Jacob Clayton Laughter, 23, had sexual intercourse with a thirteen year-old the girl at the Eagle's Nest Resort in April of 2011 when he was 21 years-old.

Stone County Prosecutor Matt Selby says, “This was a situation where there was a relationship between the defendant’s family and the victim’s family and used that friendship to take advantage of the thirteen victim in a sexual way.” He added that “the maximum sentence is seven years and due to that breach of trust a six year sentence was appropriate.”

Judge Jack Goodman could place Laughter on parole after he has served 120 days in prison.

Garrison And Locke Headed To Prison For Burglary, Tampering:

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Joseph Bradley Garrison (mug shot SCSO)

Two men who took part in a residential burglary in Stone County last November have been sentenced to prison.
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Joseph Bradley  Garrison, 34, of Hollister, and Dustin Pierce Locke, 29, of Springfield, were with three other people when a house off Highway 13 was being burglarized,
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At preliminary hearings held last month for Christina Compton and William Ritter, the owner of the house, David Pinkley, told the court that he received a call from a neighbor that there were suspicious vehicles and people on the property in Lampe that he had inherited from his father. The neighbor told Pinkley that hoods to vehicles had been raised and people were inside the house.

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When Pinkley arrived, he found a large window had been broken out of the house and windows and steering columns to an SUV, a tow truck and another vehicle had been tampered with.

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Pinkley said Ritter's blue pickup truck was "teetering on the edge" of a seldom used road and the suspects were attempting to use chains connected to a mini van to try and pull the vehicle to a safer place.

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As he entered the house, he noticed that bar stools and miscellaneous things had been taken from inside and placed near a carport. Authorities allegedly found Compton attempting to hide under some clothing inside the house when she was apprehended.

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Ritter told authorities that he had been given permission from "Chrissy" to collect firewood on the property. Authorities found a multi tool engraved with the name D. Pinkley inside Ritter's vehicle, according to testimony. They also found a glass pipe with with residue and a bag with a sledge hammer, cutting snips , gloves and miscellaneous tools in the vehicle as well.

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Stone County Prosecuting Attorney, Matt Selby, charged Garrison with burglary for entering the house unlawfully for the purpose of stealing and tampering with a vehicle located at the house. Garrison also gave false names to investigators and signed his booking information with a false name, which led to forgery charges against him, according to Selby.
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Selby said that he asked for the lengthy prison sentence for Garrison, sentence because he "has been in trouble before, was out on bond on the drug charge at the time he committed the burglary, and it is obvious that he is not likely to change his ways. He is a danger to society and I am pleased that Judge Goodman followed our recommendation and gave Mr. Garrison a lengthy sentence." Garrison also received a seven year sentence for the forgery and a five year sentence on a pending drug possession charge. Those sentences will be served concurrently (at the same time.)

Dustin Pierce Locke (mug shot SCSO)

Locke, was sentenced to dual sentences of seven years for burglary and tampering, which will also be served concurrently.
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Ritter and Compton are due back in court next month. Another defendant, Michael Slous, is awaiting his preliminary hearing.
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Selby added that “the neighbor who reported the crime should be recognized for being aware of things going on in her neighborhood and reporting the suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately. Her actions are what led to these criminals being caught and prosecuted.”

Former Lampe Resident Charged With Rape Asks For Bond Reduction:

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Robert Duane Myers (mug shot SCSO)

A former resident of Lampe who has been charged with rape for a 2004 incident has asked the court to reduce his bond.
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Robert Duane Myers, 62, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, has been in the Stone County jail on $100,000 bond since his arrest on December 20, 2012.
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Myers attorney, John Lewright, filed the motion for the bond reduction on January 23, according to online court records.
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Charging documents allege that a woman, who was in a relationship with Myers and says she has no recollection of the incident, discovered a videotape of him sexually assaulting her which is believed to have taken place in late 2004.
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The woman told authorities she did not voluntarily take any substance that would have impaired her physically or mentally.
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The probable cause statement says, “Any substance administered would have been without her knowledge or consent against her will."
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Myers could face anywhere from five years to life in prison if he is convicted of forcible rape. He is scheduled to appear in court this week.

Rader Will Enforce Second Amendment Regardless Of Politics:

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Sheriff Doug Rader

Sheriff Doug Rader says he doesn't like the tone the Obama administration is taking with regard to the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, and he will vigorously defend the rights of his constituents.

"As the elected Sheriff of Stone County Missouri, as the duly elected Sheriff of Stone County, Missouri, it is my sworn duty to protect and defend the Constitutions of the United States of America, and the State of Missouri against all enemies both foreign and domestic. This means I not only have the duty to protect my constituents from incidents of crime, but I also have a duty and responsibility to protect and preserve the individual rights and liberties afforded and guaranteed to every citizen by our constitutions. It is my duty, as well as responsibility, to uphold the Constitution and protect those people who placed their trust in me to do what is right. This is a duty I fully understand, appreciate, and will carry out with great vigor and conviction."

Rader goes on to say, " It appears to me and many Americans that there is a genuine desire on the part of the Obama administration to restrict the Second Amendment rights of law abiding American citizens in the interest of curbing gun violence in our nation. Throughout our nation’s history the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights has served as the very foundation of our free society. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution has long guaranteed our citizens the right to keep and bear arms and is central to our ability to live in a free society. Any attempt to restrict these Second Amendment rights through executive order is unconstitutional and outright assault on the United States Constitution."

"We (sheriff department employees) refuse to participate, or allow our law-abiding citizens to be criminalized through constitutionally repugnant actions by misguided intentions or politicians," said Rader who took office on January 1st.

Rader says politicians need to "examine [the] history of all countries where guns were taken from the citizens to realize criminal activity increases and good citizens are left defenseless."

Man Who Allegedly Tried To Set Deputy On Fire To Undergo Mental Evaluation:

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Joey Lynn Plunkett (mug shot SCSO)

A mental evaluation has been ordered for the man who allegedly tried to set a Stone County deputy on fire on January 8th.
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Joey Lynn Plunkett, 43, of Reeds Spring, is facing two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer and a single count of resisting arrest.
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Attorney Curtis Garner filed the notice of intent to rely on the defense of mental disease or defect on January 22nd.

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According to court records, a woman told authorities that Joey Lynn Plunkett, 43, had driven "his truck (which contained a barrel of fuel)" into a house at 522 Craig Street in Reeds Spring while she and two young children were inside the residence.
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When Deputies Nathan Boone and Dustin Wells arrived on the scene, Plunkett walked to his truck and locked himself inside. When the deputies approached the truck, Plunkett threw the vehicle in reverse and almost hit the deputies.
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Plunkett then drove the vehicle to the back of the dwelling where it became stuck after hitting a tree. As the deputies attempted to get Plunkett out of the truck, he threw gasoline from a jar inside the vehicle into the face of a deputy and had a lighter in his hand, according to the probable cause statement.
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Plunkett, who was placed on probation after pleading guilty to DWI charges last May, is currently being held on $500,000 bond.  Judge Alan Blankenship has taken a motion to reduce Plunkett's bond under advisement. 
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His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12th.

Galena Woman Charged With Posession Of CS After Allegedly Stealing Medication:

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Renee Michelle Adams (mug shot SCSO)


A woman from Galena has been charged with possession of a controlled substance after a man contacted authorities to say that Renee Michelle Adams allegedly stole 109 Hydrocodone from him on January 14th.

When Deputy Mark Rinker went to 650 Baker Hole Road Adams gave him consent to search her home and vehicle, according to court documents.

Rinker found a single, uncapped syringe containing a clear liquid in the top left dresser drawer in Adams bedroom and two syringes in the woman's purse. In a further search of the home, Rinker found three Hydrocodone tablets in a basket under the kitchen sink. 

"Renee said that she put the three tablets in the basket that was setting on the kitchen table and then put them under the sink when she saw me arriving at the house," Rinker wrote in the probable cause statement used as the basis for the charge.

Adams is being held on $20,000 and is due back in court this week.

Felony Assault Charges Dismissed Against Melvin:

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Rhonda Melvin (mug shot SCSO)

Felony assault charges were dismissed against a Galena woman after the complaining witnesses refused to cooperate with authorities.

Last September, authorities claimed that Rhonda Melvin, 46, was intoxicated when she demanded to use her pregnant daughter's cell phone. When the daughter refused, Melvin allegedly grabbed her by the hair and kneed her in the stomach.

The daughter and her boyfriend, who barricaded themselves in their bedroom to keep Melvin away from them, told authorities that Melvin began to "hack" through the door with a claw hammer to get to them and told them she was going to "burn the house down and "they would not leave alive."

Allisha Polimenti was transported to the hospital with abdominal pain following the attack.

After Melvin posted bond in the first case, authorities were again called to the home in McCord Bend following another instance of domestic assault on September 6th involving Melvin. Stone County Sheriff's Captain Tim Gideon says that when a deputy was arresting Melvin she spat blood on the officer.  She still faces misdemeanor charges of assault of a law enforcement officer connected to that case. 

She is due back in court on February 26th.

Man Who Allegedly Tried To Torch Deputy Facing New Charges, Wife Charged Too:

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Kara Nichole Plunkett (mug shot SCSO)


New charges have been filed against the man who allegedly tried to set a Stone County deputy on fire last month.

In an unrelated case, authorities say Kara Plunkett, 28, and Joey Lynn Plunkett, 43, cut a hole in the wood floor of a lake house they had been renting at 121 Busch Road in Kimberling City last June, causing at least $2,000 worth of damage.

Court records say Plunkett allegedly stole household items and fishing poles worth over $500 from the residence as well.

Kara Plunkett, who is being held on $20,000 bond, is due back in court on February 5th.

Joey Plunkett has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation in the assault of a law enforcement officer case.  He is due back in court in March.

White Preliminary Hearing Postponed.....Again:

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Marty Lynn White (mug shot SCSO)

The second scheduled preliminary hearing for a Marionville man charged with child molestation that was to take place on January 29th has been postponed until February 19th.

Authorities say Marty Lynn White, 46, allegedly molested the six year-old daughter of his roommate in August. The little girl told authorities that White "touches her in places he's not supposed to."

The girl told authorities that White was looking for a girlfriend on the Internet and allegedly showed she and her five year-old brother pictures, videos and movies of naked girls.

White is on probation for a domestic assault in 2011 involving his sister and mother and a separate case of endangering the welfare of a child. In the domestic assault case, White was intoxicated when he fired a gun and was taken to a state mental facility for treatment.

Higgins Bound Over For Trial:

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Randy Len Higgins (mug shot SCSO)



Randy Higgins waived his right to a preliminary hearing on January 29th on burglary, stealing and receiving stolen property charges and has been bound over for trial.

Last month, Stone County Chief Deputy Tim Gideon said detectives received information that property stolen from Wire Road Builders in Crane could be located at 614 South Pine.


When law enforcers executed that warrant they located a Dewalt Saw, Yamaha generator, propane bottles, catalytic converters, gasoline and miscellaneous tools missing from Chad Vaught's business. About a week before that, Vaught told investigator's that he allegedly caught an employee, Randy Higgins, stealing gas from him.

Vaught identified several items seized in the raid as belonging to him.

Higgins was formally arraigned in circuit court on January 31st and is due back in court later this month.


Drug charges were also filed against Higgins, Dustin Gan, 26; Nicole Jennings, 30, all of Galena, after a large amount of finished methamphetamine and items used to manufacture the drug were found in the residence during the raid.  Prosecutor Matt Selby added a receiving stolen property count against Jennings on January 30th.

Gan and Jennings are due back in court later this month

Assistant prosecutor Dayrell Scrivner says the investigation is ongoing and he expects additional charges to be filed in the case.

Reeds Spring Mom Charged With Child Endangerment:

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Shelly N. Reynolds (mug shot SCSO)




A woman from Reeds Spring is facing charges of endangering the welfare of a child after authorities found the home where she and her three children were living covered in dog feces.

According to the probable cause statement, Shelly Nicole Reynolds, 32, allowed an alleged drug abuser with psychological problems and not related to her children, sleep in the same room with the children.

Court documents say that windows were broken throughout the home, and the children were sleeping on a mattress on the floor that was littered with dog excrement.

Reynolds, who is due back in court next week, was released after posting $5,000 bond.

Area Men Facing Receiving Stolen Property Charges:

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Jeremy James McCoy (mug shot SCSO)

A man from Reeds Spring has been charged with receiving stolen property after he was allegedly found driving stolen Mercedes E320 on January 25th.


Jeremy James McCoy, 33, allegedly told Deputy Taylor Jenkins that he knew the vehicle had been stolen from Christian County, "but continued to possess it."

A passenger in the vehicle, Eric Joseph Rhorer, 22, of Rockaway Beach, is facing the same charges.





Eric Joseph Rhorer (mug shot SCSO)


McCoy is being held on $55,000 bond; Rhorer is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond.
 

Crane Man Charged With Stealing Jailed After Failing To Appear In Court:

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Tony Douglas Frieze (mug shot SCSO)



A man from Crane is back behind bars after he failed to appear in court last month on stealing charges.

In September of 2011, Tony Douglas Frieze, 34, was charged after Frank Hooten reported that a large amount of scrap metal missing from his property at 42624 Highway 413. 

According to court documents another man, who is cooperating with authorities, "admitted that he and Tony sold the scrap items to the Stone County Recycling Center."  The cooperating witness told authorities that Frieze asked him "to initiate the transaction because Tony claimed to have lost his wallet."  The man told authorities that Frieze paid him $30 of the $230 he got for the scrap metal.

Frieze, who has a lengthy criminal history that dates back over a decade, is scheduled to appear in court later this month.

 

Charges Filed In Willingham Double Homicide:

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Jose Alberto Huckleberry Jr. (mug shot DOC)


A man who was due to be released (02-08-13) from prison in three days has been charged with the April 2011 murders of Donald and Helen Willingham.

Jose Alberto Huckleberry Jr., 25, told investigators "he participated in the murders" of Donald and Helen Willingham on April 25, 2011.

The Willinghams, both 79, were found stabbed to death in their home at 2919 W. Swan near Springfield after Mrs. Willingham called 9-1-1 shortly before 6 a.m. to report a man was attacking her husband.  When a police officer arrived six minutes later, he found the couple dead on the floor of their modest home.



Donald and Helen Willingham


When Huckleberry was interviewed by detectives on April 30th and May 1st of last year, he admitted that he had broken into the couple's home, but only intended to rob them.

Huckleberry has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and a single count of burglary.

Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott says investigators interviewed two suspects in the case within 72 hours of the double homicide on unrelated charges, but they were released after investigators failed to gather enough evidence to charge the pair with murder . Over the past two years, Arnott has literally begged for help from the public in seeking information that could help investigators solve the case.

Arnott says over five hundred pieces of evidence were collected at the crime scene and some are still at the state crime lab for forensic testing.  He says the murders of the Willinghams appeared to be "random" crime.

Huckleberry, who has convictions for burglary, assault of a law enforcement officer and violating an order of protection, is currently incarcerated at the Western Center and Diagnostic Center in St. Joseph on a probation violation connected to a commercial robbery.

Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson says the investigation into the Willinghams murders continues and others could be charged as a result of the investigation.

Family Member's Issue Statement About High School Sweethearts Murdered In Stone County:

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Margaret "Susan" and Paul "Brian" Brooks (family photo)

 
Family members say the couple who were found murdered in their sons lake house on January 31st were high school sweethearts who would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in July.

Paul "Brian" Brooks, 70, and Margaret "Susan" Brooks, 69, escaped the brutal winters in Michigan and wintered at their son Patrick’s lake house on Table Rock near Lampe.

The couple, who were reared in Windsor, Ontario, raised three son's who all have become physician's. The couple moved to a lake home near Baldwin, Michigan after Brian retired from working in Detroit for an automobile manufacturer. Susan, dedicated her life to raising her family. They became U.S. citizens shortly after Mr. Brookses retirement.

“Susan and Brian spent their retirement years watching each of their nine grandchildren grow, filling their days with more memories than any one person could possibly remember,” a statement from the family said.

Christopher Allen and Anthony Zarro were charged in juvenile court on Monday (02-04-13) with two counts of first degree murder, armed criminal action and burglary. Juvenile authorities in Stone County say they intend to ask the court to certify the boys be charged as adults and tried in state court.

Sheriff Doug Rader says the Brookses were beaten and stabbed to death.  He says he will have to wait on final autopsy reports to determine how the couple was dead before they were found.
  
The boys were runaways from Lives Under Construction, a "ranch" for boys who have had problems with the law and/or family.

A neighbor held the boy's at gunpoint after noticing "suspicious" behavior near the 1722 Trace Hollow residence. "We wish to thank the heroes that choose to remain nameless, but to whom we will be forever indebted, for calling the authorities and apprehending the suspects. We can never say thank you enough," the family of the Brooks said in a statement to the media.

Sheriff Doug Rader, who assumed office less than a month before the double homicide, says he is working with resort owners and people who live near the ranch about a notification system that would let them know if someone had runaway from the facility for at risk boys who range in age from 7 to 21 years of age.  Rader says there are indicattions that the boy's had been hiding out in a vacant house next door to the house, which is about three miles from the ranch, where the couple were slain.

Some of the boys are from out of state, and Rader says the previous administration, headed by Richard Hill, would only notify authorities in the jurisdictions the boys came from.   
 

The family says they are leaning on their faith to help them deal with the tragedy. "This was a senseless act of violence carried out upon a defenseless , loving couple. In this truly difficult time, we see evidence of God’s abundant grace and have many things to be thankful for."

"We wish to thank the members of the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, especially Sheriff Rader, for the kindness and compassion shown to our family.  We appreciate the professionalism and attention to detail of this department, that of Prosecutor Matt Selby, and Coroner Rick Stumpff, to ensure that the individuals that have committed these crimes are prosecuted to the full extent of the law," said the family.

The outpouring of love and kindness by people here and in communities that were touched by Susan and Brian was also acknowledged in the statement, "We wish to thank the tremendous outpouring of love and kindness by each of our communities scattered about the country. Your expressions of kindness are too numerous to mention but confirm for us the importance of relationships and community. We are humbled and blessed."