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.
2 comments:
That would be Bob Evenson, of Pineville, not Bill.
I wondered aloud yesterday if McDonald County prosecutor just caved to Bob Evenson's firm. Hope not but it appears to be a big maybe!
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