Person of interest in Becci Sanders murder was under investigation for child sex crimes in Alabama

The Cullman, Alabama, man described by Jasper County authorities as a "person of interest" in the January 13 murder of Becci Sanders, 46, Sarcoxie, used a stolen debit card belonging to her when he used two vending machines in Springfield, Illinois the following day, according to a probable cause statement filed in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Surveillance video enabled Jasper County deputies to identify the man as Justin Chase Stevens, 34.

The car Stevens was driving, according to the probable cause statement, was Sanders' 2015 Subaru Legacy.

At this point, the only charges the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office has filed against Stevens are two counts of felony stealing for the car and the debit card.

Stevens is still at large and is considered armed and dangerous.

Stevens left Alabama after he became a suspect in an investigation involving sex crimes against children, according to the statement.

Deputies discovered the body of Sanders, 46, when they responded to a medical call at 2755 High Street, Sarcoxie, 8:58 p.m. January 13.

The probable cause statement is printed below:

On January 13, 2021, at approximately 6:15 p.m., Justin Chase Stevens was at the residence located at 2755 High Street, Sarcoxie, Missouri in Jasper County where he took without the permission of the owner a Southwest Missouri Bank debit card ending in 7285, a Southwest Missouri Bank debit car ending in 9778 and a 2015 Subaru Legacy passenger car with the intent to deprive the owners, Marshall Sanders and Becci Sanders, of the property.

After leaving the aforementioned address with the property, Stevens proceeded to drive the stolen car to 119 Howard Johnson Drive, Rolla, Missouri where he used the card ending in 9778 at 9:35 p.m. on the same date to purchase fuel for $27.40.

Investigators have been able to track his movements through the unauthorized use of the stolen cards.

On January 14, 2021, surveillance video captured him using one of the stolen cards in the state of Illinois and also showed that he was still in possession of the stolen vehicle.

A representative of the Illinois Department of Transportation confirmed that two vending machine purchases made in Springfield, Illinois on January 14, 2021 were at the rest area located at mile marker 102 on Interstate 55 in Illinois.

He sent three pictures to investigators in Jasper County, Missouri recovered from their surveillance cameras that coincide with the time stamps on the vending machines. Two of the photos depict a white male that was at the vending machines making the purchases.

A third picture sent was of the license plate associated with the male subject. The license plate is Missouri VB1Y03, the same license plate belonging to the 2015 Subaru Legacy belonging to Marshall and Becci Sanders.

The photographs of the male subject received were compared to the Facebook profile picture of Justin Chase Stevens and was observed to be the same person.

On January 1, 2021, Stevens was in Sarcoxie, Missouri with family and fled on foot due to being a suspect in a sex crimes against children investigation in Alabama.

The January 1 incident was the first in Missouri for Stevens and was reported that day on the Sarcoxie Police Department Facebook page:

Justin Chase Stevens, 34 year old white male, 6'1", 175 pounds, brown buzz cut, and blue eyes. Last seen walking into the woods, prior to law enforcement arrival, west of Kum & Go wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans. 

Stevens has made suicidal statements and said that he was not going to prison for an investigation stemming from Alabama. 

Stevens is armed, do not approach, and immediately call local law enforcement.

In response to a question in the comment section of that post about why officers did not attempt to track Stevens, the Sarcoxie Police responded:

As far as tracking him, our department, as well as County and State deliberated for some time that going in after him with no charges or warrants, could have led to a bad end. It was safer for all involved to not pursue in ice covered underbrush, falling limbs, and the potential of having to use force against the subject or injuring ourselves.