Missing girl's stepfather admits to possible crime

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of nine-year-old Rowan Ford of Stella sometime Friday night or early Saturday morning continues and authorities have pointed the finger of suspicion at her stepfather, David Spears.

Newton County authorities have made no secret of the fact that Spears has not cooperated with them as they search for any scrap of information on the missing girl:

"The stepfather was uncooperative with us," Copeland said, adding that Spears has refused to speak with police anymore until he consults with an attorney.

Investigators also learned -- and Spears acknowledged -- that he'd left the house for a second time early Saturday morning and was not there between 1:30 a.m. and about 7 a.m. During that time, Copeland said, David Spears' mother was at the house while her son used her car. The woman told investigators that she did not check on her stepgranddaughter while her son was away from the house.

Where David Spears was for more than five hours remains unknown. "We don't know," Copeland said. "We know where he said he went."

Though no information has been released to the media that connects Spears to his stepdaughter's appearance, it appears that he may have already admitted to committing another crime.

Managing Editor John Ford, in an article in Tuesday's Neosho Daily News wrote:

"David Spears, told authorities he checked the girl at 10:45 p.m. before leaving the home with two friends and returning about midnight. At that time, according to Copeland, he did not check on the girl, but instead called his mother to ask to borrow her car, leaving again at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning. He returned about 7 a.m., the sheriff said, and fell asleep on the couch without checking on Rowan."

If he borrowed his mother's car, as he told law enforcement officials, he may have been breaking the law. According to McDonald County Circuit Court records, a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper arrested David W. Spears Feb. 22 on charges of driving while intoxicated...and doing so without a valid driver's license.

Justice has not been swift for David Spears in this case, according to court records. After his April 2 arraignment, Spears has yet to appear in court. An April 30 pre-trial conference was rescheduled due to a conflict for Spears' attorney, Abe Paul. The hearing was also rescheduled on May 17, May 21, June 18, July 16, July 30, Aug. 29, Sept. 25, and Oct. 30. On some of those dates, it was postponed because Paul had conflicts. On other dates, no reasons are given on the case.net files.

McDonald County Circuit Court records also show that Spears, again represented by Paul, filed a civil action against the Missouri Department of Revenue on Feb. 3, 2005, appealing the revocation of his driver's license. Eventually, he lost the case, the records indicate.

If Spears' version of what happened the night his stepdaughter disappeared is accurate, it still appears that, at the least, he illegally drove a car and then stayed away from his home for five and a half hours. Is it any wonder the Sheriff's Department is questioning his story?

Meanwhile, local law enforcement and the FBI continue to search for Rowan Ford, and the Stella community has pulled together, as small-town communities always seem to manage to do in crisis situations to help Rowan's mother, Colleen Spears, and to pray for a happy resolution to this nightmare.