Joplin woman held on $15,000 bond after allegedly using blow torch on cheating boyfriend

A Joplin woman was arraigned in Jasper County Circuit Court Monday and pleaded not guilty to first degree domestic assault.

Naomi C. Lanham (DOB 1972) is being held on $15,000 bond, cash or surety.

According to the probable cause statement, Lanham came to the Joplin Police Department lobby, allegedly intoxicated, and said her boyfriend "lit a blow torch, placed it in her hands and told her to burn him."

Lanham's story was inconsistent, the statement said.

When police contacted her boyfriend, he told a different version of events.

From the probable cause statement:

Victim 1 advised he was verbally arguing with Ms. Latham over her accusing him of cheating. {He} advised during the argument Ms. Latham grabbed a butane blow torch and held it "like a gun" toward him.

V1 advised he "called her bluff" and told her she was not going to use it against him. [He said} Ms. Lanham then took the lit blow torch and "tried to light him on fire."

The boyfriend said Lanham pressed the blow torch against his abdomen burning his skin and causing considerable pain, according to the statement. When he threatened to call 911, Lanham took off with the blow torch.

The boyfriend had burn marks in the area he had indicated. Police found a black shirt he said he had been wearing and it had a burn hole in the lower abdominal area.f

***

JUST PUBLISHED

Celebrate 20 years of the Turner Report with my new book: Running Circles Around the Globe.

The book is available now in paperback or e-book format at the Amazon link below and will be available by the middle of July in Joplin at Always Buying Books, Changing Hands Book Shoppe and The Book Guy.

Running Circles Around the Globe: 20 Years of the Turner Report: Turner, Randy: 9798329192988: Amazon.com: Books