A soldier in the Army National Guard pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually abusing four minors over several years while he was the youth ministry director at Fort Leonard Wood U.S. Army Base. David J. McKay, 42, of Waynesville, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of transporting […]
Missouri KidsFirst presented the 2021 Standing with Children Awards at a virtual event hosted by the organization at 12:00 PM on Monday, April 26, 2021. The 2021 recipients of the Standing with Children Awards are Laura Bauer and Judy Thomas, investigative reporters with the Kansas City Star, Dr. Linda Shaw, child abuse pediatrician with SSM […]
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a new initiative, Project Wave Breaker, to disrupt the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States. Project Wave Breaker will direct interdiction, enforcement, and outreach efforts to high-impact areas to disrupt the flow of fentanyl in and around the United States. The initiative will also employ analytical intelligence assets […]
(Missouri Independent) – After hours of fierce debate that spanned the course of two days, the Missouri House on Wednesday signed off on a prohibition on transgender students participating on the sports teams that match their gender identity. The provision, offered as an amendment by Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, to House Bill 1141 was adopted by a vote […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general in writing to President Joe Biden and congressional leaders to voice opposition to the recent steps towards packing the U.S. Supreme Court. “President Biden’s and Congressional leaders’ attempts to pack the United States Supreme Court will undermine the independence and impartiality of […]
The Missouri House has voted unanimously to expel Lee’s Summit Representative Rick Roeber. The House Ethics Committee released an investigative report this week about allegations that Roeber, a Republican, abused his four adult children when they were younger. It says two of the children were allegedly sexually abused and two others reported being physically abused. […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Missouri House Ethics Committee voted unanimously on Monday to recommend Rep. Rick Roeber be expelled from the Legislature. The committee, made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, said evidence obtained over the course of its four-month investigation confirmed Roeber had sexually abused two of his children in 1990 when they […]
A Pattonsburg man charged with multiple counts of child molestation pleaded not guilty in Division One of Daviess County Circuit Court on April 14th. Seventy-three-year-old Steven Dale Lawrence waived formal arraignment and his motion for a change of judge was sustained. The case was assigned to Judge R. Brent Elliott. The case was continued to […]
Probation was revoked and a sentence imposed for one defendant, two others changed their pleas to guilty during Thursday’s session for Division One of the Grundy County Circuit Court. After Thomas Blake Dalton of Galt admitted to probation violations, Circuit Court Judge Thomas Alley sentenced Dalton to a previously imposed prison sentence. In November of […]
The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of several area residents in the last couple of days. Forty-year-old Lori Ann Pennington of Trenton was arrested April 14th on felony driving while intoxicated—aggravated and misdemeanor driving while revoked or suspended—second or third offense. Bond is $5,000 cash only, and she is scheduled for the Associate […]
A Brookfield woman accused of injuring a girl has been charged with the felonies of domestic assault—third degree and abuse or neglect of a child—no sexual contact. Online court information shows 59 year old Virginia Dean Williams posted bond of $500. An arraignment is scheduled in Linn County May 13th. A probable cause statement from […]
A Missouri House committee is working to get to the bottom of abuse allegations surfacing about several faith-based boarding schools, but then falling through the cracks. State Representative Dottie Bailey of Eureka says there are too many Missouri Children’s Division managers and not enough frontline workers handling child abuse and neglect allegations. During an oversight […]
Current Missouri law allows orders of protection for one year – potentially forcing domestic violence victims to repeatedly return to court and face their abuser. The Missouri House has given initial approval to a bill that would allow the victims to get a lifetime order of protection. Representative Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from […]
A Pattonsburg man charged with multiple counts of child molestation had his case bound over to Division One of Daviess County Circuit Court on March 29th. Seventy-three-year-old Steven Dale Lawrence is scheduled for arraignment on April 14th. Lawrence has been charged with the felonies of second-degree child molestation, third-degree, and two counts of fourth-degree as […]
The Missouri House has unanimously passed a bipartisan plan in hopes of putting a stop to alleged child abuse at religious boarding schools. An investigation by the Kansas City Star has found for decades, students at some of these boarding schools have been beaten, raped, starved, restrained, and isolated for days or even […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt officially jumped into the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, making him the second major Republican hopeful seeking to replace Roy Blunt. Schmitt’s decision comes after former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens jumped into the race earlier this week. Both made their announcements on Fox News. “Washington, D.C., needs more […]
A Marceline man accused of punching a 10-year-old on March 21st faces two felony charges in Linn County. Thirty-one-year-old Patrick Colby Niemeier has been charged with third-degree domestic assault and abuse or neglect of a child—no sexual contact. Niemeier entered a plea of not guilty in the Associate Circuit Court on March 24th and requested […]
A Brookfield man has been charged with felony first-degree property damage after a police officer responded to a call about lights being on on a vehicle. Fifty-three-year-old Todd Aaron Boh has also been charged with felony escape or attempted escape from custody while under arrest for a felony and misdemeanor assault—fourth degree. Boh pleaded not […]
The head of the Missouri Department of Social Services is scheduled to appear before a panel of lawmakers Wednesday about the agency’s handling of abuse investigations within boarding schools. The Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight has called a Wednesday afternoon hearing to question the department’s acting director, Jennifer Tidball. The Kansas City Star has […]
Two Chillicothe residents face multiple charges following a well-being check in February on a female juvenile who law enforcement reports sent text messages to her grandmother that she did not feel safe. Thirty-eight-year-old Eric Wayne Suddith has been charged with the felonies of sodomy or first degree attempted sodomy and enticement or attempted enticement of […]
