Plea bargain agreement calls for killer of Joplin couple to serve 10 years on meth conspiracy charge

Rita Michelle Glasgow, 32, already serving a 23-year sentence for her role in the DWI crash that took the life of Terry and Rhonda Copple, pleaded guilty this afternoon in U. S. District Court in Springfield to her role in a meth distribution conspiracy.

The plea agreement indicates the government and Glasgow's attorney have agreed to a 10-year sentence, while two additional charges, possession and distribution of controlled substances will be dismissed.

The final say on Glasgow's punishment is in the hands of Judge David P. Rush, who ordered a pre-sentence investigation. No date has been scheduled for sentencing.

Glasgow's crimes, described in the plea agreement, included being arrested by the Joplin Police Department July 2, 2019 at Love's Truck Stop with a camera case that contained 20 pounds of meth. A search of Glasgow after she was taken into custody revealed another 51.2 grams of meth in her underwear.

Glasgow told officers she had conspired with Joplin businessman Joshua Davenport, owner of Davenport Auto Sales to distribute meth.

The Newton County Sheriff's Office arrested Glasgow September 28, 2019 after a deputy saw that her registration was expired. When a deputy tried to stop her, Glasgow took off traveling at more than 75 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone, until she lost control and the car went into a ditch.

Glasgow was six months pregnant at the time, according to the plea agreement.

She had 32.4 grams of methamphetamine with her.

The charges that landed Glasgow in a Missouri prison are not a part of the federal case. The federal government took over the meth cases with a grand jury indictment January 29, 2021, too late to stop Glasgow, who was high on meth, from barreling into the intersection at 28th and Connecticut and plowed into an SUV killing Terry and Rhonda Copple of Joplin.

Glasgow pleaded guilty July 25 to two felony counts of DWI involving a death and was sentenced to 23 years. On January 9, she filed a motion for a new trial claiming her lawyer was ineffective. No hearing has been scheduled.

Related stories

The Turner Report: Joplin businessman pleads guilty to meth trafficking, weapons charges (rturner229.blogspot.com) (Joshua Davenport plea. His sentencing will be in June.)

The Turner Report: Probable cause- Joplin woman admits she did meth before crashing into SUV, killing Terry and Rhonda Copple (rturner229.blogspot.com)

The Turner Report: She killed a Joplin couple, pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 23 years and now she wants out (rturner229.blogspot.com) (This story includes all of the breaks Glasgow received from our judicial system that enabled her to be free and driving a car while on meth the day the Copples were killed.)