Charges remain against Granby pastor in cult case

The Newton County Prosecuting Attorney's office and McDonald County prosecuting attorney's office, which worked together to build cases against members of an alleged cult, had a parting of the ways after the election of a new prosecutor in McDonald County, according to Derek Spellman's article in today's Joplin Globe.
McDonald County sex charges against Raymond Lambert, pastor of the Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church, his wife, Patty Lambert, and sister-in-law Laura Epling, were dismissed Tuesday. Charges still remain in both counties against Lambert's uncle, George Otis Johnston, pastor of the Grandview Valley Baptist Church in Granby.

Bill Evenson, the lawyer for the Lamberts and Eplings, told the Globe, the witnesses against his clients had stopped cooperating with authorities. An interview with a Newton County prosecutor makes it appear as if the new regime at the McDonald County prosecuting attorney's office was responsible:

Bill Dobbs, assistant Newton County prosecutor, said his office has not encountered any of the problems that Evenson said had derailed the case in McDonald County.

“My last conversation with my witnesses seemed fine,” Dobbs said. “I don’t foresee any problems.”

Dobbs said the Newton County prosecutor’s office worked with its McDonald County counterpart during the early stages of the investigations, but the two offices have worked independently of each other since charges were filed.