Wood, 45, Springfield, is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, and armed criminal action in connection to the February 18 shooting death of 10-year-old Hailey Owens.
The following probable cause information was included in the search warrant, which was submitted by Chris Barb of the Springfield Police Department:
On 2/18.2014, at 1648 hours, Springfield Police officers were dispatched to the 3200 block of west Lombard concerning a report of a female child that had been abducted while she was walking down the street. The 911 caller reported a male in a tan or gold colored Ford Ranger grabbed a ten to 12-year-old girl, pulled her into the truck and drove away. The 911 caller provided a license plate of 1YF454 for the Ford Ranger.
Edwards described the suspect as a white male with gray hair. Edwards reported the suspect appeared to be unshaven. She stated the male was wearing a ball cap.
Officers also spoke with Carlos Edwards. Carlos also lives at 3247 W. Lombard. Carlos reported seeing the same incident Michelle reported. I later conducted a follow-up interview with Carlos. Carlos reported he did not know the girl that was abducted, but stated he frequently sees her walking on Lombard Street. Carlos reported he arrived home from work around 1530 hours and had seen the young girl walking eastbound on Lombard shortly after he returned home. He told me he later learned from the girl's mother that she possibly walks that route to visit a friend. Carlos also stated that he saw a tan Ford Ranger driving east and west multiple times in front of his residence on Lombard after he returned from work. Carlos said he had been working in his yard and had been in his garage with the overhead door opened.
Carlos reported he later saw the girl walking westbound on Lombard and the Ford Ranger drove past her westbound. He stated the driver of the truck turned around at the intersection of Laurel Avenue and Lombard. Carlos stated it looked like the girl had a telephone and was possibly using it to text. Carlos said the driver of the truck drove eastbound and stopped near the girl. Carlos said he heard the male driver ask the girl if she knew how to get to Springfield Street. Carlos reported the girl told the male "no" and continued to walk westbound away from the truck. He said she took about four or five steps before the male driver called her back to the truck. He stated the male driver opened the driver's door of the truck and grabbed the girl. He said the male driver threw the girl over his lap into the passenger seat of the truck. Carlos said the male subject drove away at a high rate of speed to the intersection of Lombard Street and Golden Avenue. Carlos reported the male turned right (southbound) onto Golden. Carlos told me another neighbor followed the suspect and suspect truck and last saw the truck eastbound on Grand Street at Scenic Avenue.
Carlos described the male suspect as a white male with gray hair. He stated the male was wearing a ball cap, possibly maroon in color. He told me the suspect appeared unshaven with possibly gray facial hair. Carlos estimated the male was approximately six feet tall. He said the male appeared to be in his early to mid forties in age.
Carlos told me the young girl was wearing short denim shorts and a pink short-sleeved shirt. He stated Michelle called the police and he began to knock on doors trying to locate the girl's family. Carlos stated he saw a young boy outside and described the abducted girl to the boy. The boy said the description matched his sister and the boy took Carlos to his home on Page Street.
Officers contacted Stacy Barfield who reported her daughter, Hailey Owens, was the young girl that had been abducted by the suspect in the Ford Ranger. Barfield reported Owens had been walking on Lombard Street to visit a friend.
Officers ran the suspect license plate, 1YF 454 through MULES and discovered the license plate was registered on a 2008 Ford pickup to a Jim D. Wood and Regina F at 13298 W. Highway T in Ash Grove, MO. Detectives obtained information on possible sons of Wood with addresses in Springfield, MO. The two possible sons were identified as Craig Wood and Rob Wood with addresses of 1538 E. Stanford Street and 768 W. Deerfield, respectively.
Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers responded to Jim Wood's address in Ash Grove, MO and contacted Jim. Jim advised his son Craig had possession of the Ford Ranger and drove it. Jim advised Craig lived at 1538 E. Stanford Street in Springfield.
Sgt. Allen Neal and additional detectives went to 1538 E. Stanford in an attempt to locate the possible suspect truck. Sgt. Neal saw a truck matching the suspect vehicle description pull into the driveway at 1538 E. Stanford. Sgt. Neal pulled in behind the truck and contacted a male subject, later identified as Craig Wood, as Craig got out of the driver's seat of the truck. Craig Wood is a white male approximately six feet tall with gray hair and facial hair. Sgt. Neal observed Craig to be holding an unknown item in his hands. Sgt. Neal advised the item Craig was holding was a roll of duct tape and Craig threw it into the bed of the truck as he was contacted by detectives. The truck Craig had driven and parked in the driveway was a tan colored Ford Ranger with a license plate of IYF 454. The truck and license plate matched the description of the suspect truck from the abduction of the young girl in the 3200 block of west Lombard.
Detectives detained Craig at 1538 E. Stanford. Sgt. Neal asked Craig if he would be willing to come to police headquarters to be interviewed. Sgt. Neal advised Craig agreed to go to police headquarters but did not ask what he would be interviewed about or why he was contacted. Craig was transported to police headquarters.
Detective Kevin Shipley conducted an interview with Craig upon his arrival at police headquarters. Craig reported he worked until approximately 1515 horus on 02/18/2014 and went straight home to his residence at 1538 E. Stanford after he finished work. He told Det. Shipley he walked his dog and ran errands after returning to his residence. Det. Shipley questioned Craig about his vehicle being seen at the scene of the abduction. Craig denied that he was in the neighborhood where the abduction occurred. Det. Shipley confronted Craig with statements from the witnesses placing his truck at the scene of the abduction. Craig then told Dr. Shipley that he had been out driving around the Missouri State University campus and area west of the campus. Craig denied that he had contacted any young children or girls. Craig stated he is the only person who drives the Ford Ranger. Det. Shipley observed what appeared to be blood on Craig's t-shirt during the interview. Detectives collected Craig's clothing while he was present at police headquarters and processed his person for possible evidence. Detectives smelled the odor commonly associated with bleach on Craig's clothing and person during the evidence collection.
On 02/19/14 at 0215 hours, Sgt. Allen Neal and I entered the property at 1538 E. Stanford under the authority of a search warrant signed on 02/19/2014 at 0128 hours. Sgt. Neal and I entered the residence through the back door located on the south side of the residence. I smelled the odor commonly associated with bleach when we entered the rear door. I observed what appeared to be a bottle of bleach and other cleaning products on the floor inside the rear door in plain view. The bottle of bleach appeared to be in a plastic Wal-Mart sack.
Sgt. Neal and I located a set of stairs inside the rear door that led to the basement area. We walked down the stairs into the basement. It appeared as if some of the steps were wet or had areas of dampness on them. I could still smell the strong odor of bleach as we entered the basement. I observed a fan that was on the basement floor and was in the "on" position. The fan was positioned to blow toward the staircase. Portions of the concrete floor appeared to be wet or damp. I observed two bleach container bottles in the basement. One was sitting on the floor and another was sitting on top of a huge "shop vac" style vacuum.
I observed large plastic storage containers near the northeast corner of the basement. I observed one blue storage container stacked on top of a slightly larger blue storage container. Both containers were sealed with plastic lids. Sgt. Neal opened the lid on the top container and we observed various papers and items inside the container. Sgt. Neal then placed the top container onto the floor and opened the lid on the bottom container. Sgt. Neal and I observed what appeared to be a small body consistent with a child concealed within black trash bags inside the container. The possible body was consistent in size with the description provided for the abduction victim, Hailey Owens. Sgt. Neal and I could make out what appeared to be various body parts pressing against the trash bags. It appeared as if the possible head of the body was at the west end of the container and the legs and feet were positioned near the east end of the container. I observed what appeared to be possible blood pooling in the bottom of the container. Sgt. Neal and I left the possible body in the position and condition we discovered it in. Sgt. Neal and I then exited the basement.
Sgt. Neal and I then conducted a walk-through of the residence. I observed additional bottles of bleach, a roll of large black trash bags, boxes of trash bags, and paper towels on a small table inside the kitchen of the residence. I observed a laptop computer and a video camera in the living room area. I saw what appeared to be a large revolver in a holster on a table inside the living/dining area. I observed a shotgun in the southeast bedroom of the home. I saw a bed inside the southeast bedroom and the bedding had been removed. There appeared to be unknown stains on the mattress and pillows. I obtained photographs of the items observed inside the residence upon our initial search and walk-through. Sgt. Neal and I then exited the residence to await the arrival of the crime scene detectives and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who would conduct further crime scene processing.
On 02/19/14, crime scene detectives and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Response Team (ERT) later conducted a search of the residence at 1538 E. Stanford under authority of the search warrant. Crime scene detectives and ERT members discovered the body of a young female that appeared to be Hailey Owens inside the large blue storage container located in the basement. Detectives and ERT members discovered the body was concealed inside two trash bags in the storage container.
The Deputy Medical Examiner, Tom Van De Berg, responded to 1538 E. Stanford and conducted a brief examination of the body after it was removed from the storage container and the trash bags. Van DeBerg located what appeared to be a gunshot wound near the base of the skull. Van De Berg also observed what appeared to be ligature marks on the victim's arms near the wrists.
Crime scene detectives and ERT members conducted a further search of the residence under authority of the warrant and located several guns inside the residence. They located a spent .22 caliber shell casing on the floor of the basement. They also located a three-ring binder inside the residence that contained pornographic images of young children.
Based on training and experience, I know that subjects who abduct small children often assault or sexually assault the victim(s). I know that suspects who commit various crimes often research how to commit the crime(s), cover up the crime(s), or clean up and dispose of evidence of the crime(s) via use of the internet. I know based upon training and experience that suspects of child abductions or child homicides are often found to have possession of child pornography or have viewed child pornography. I know that subjects who possess child pornography often store the images in computer files, digital media storage devices, on compact discs, or DVDs.
Wherefore your affiant hereby makes application for a search warrant authorizing the affiant and/or other representatives of the City of Springfield Police Department, with proper and necessary assistance, to search the above described premises and to seize any and all of the aforesaid property, articles, materials, and substances found by virtue of such search warrant and to list the items seized on a return and inventory to be filed within this judicial circuit within 10 days of this date.
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