A Denver, Missouri man was sentenced December 10th to 30 years in the Department of Corrections on felony murder—second degree. Worth County Prosecuting Attorney Janet Wake Larrison reports 39-year-old Jeremiah Searles was sentenced after pleading guilty to killing Melissa Chapman. A news release says Searles admitted to striking Chapman in the head with part of a cinder block, causing her death.
Fifty-year-old Kimberly Sue Henry Tinkle has now been charged with two felony counts of hindering prosecution of a felony as well as one count each of abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence in a felony prosecution in regards to Chapman’s death.
A probable cause statement from Highway Patrol Sergeant Travis Williams accuses Tinkle of harboring Searles to prevent his apprehension, assisting Searles with abandoning Chapman’s body and assisting Searles in moving Chapman’s van from the scene of the crime to Mount Ayr, Iowa in an attempt to mislead authorities.
Searles was arrested after a missing person investigation came to an end in September when law enforcement found Chapman’s body. A probable cause statement says Chapman’s homicide occurred in Worth County on August 23rd.
Searles was also charged earlier this year with kidnapping—facilitating a felony—inflicting injury—terror—first degree, domestic assault—first degree, abuse or neglect of a child—no sexual contact, and tampering or attempt to tamper with a victim in a felony prosecution. Those charges were moved on a change of venue from Harrison County to Mercer County. Authorities have said Chapman was scheduled to testify in court against Searles on those charges.
