On March 5, Garrett Grimm Cleaver, 40, Webb City, pleaded guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Under a plea agreement with the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office, a third felony charge- resisting arrest by fleeing- was dismissed.
Sentencing was scheduled for April 30.
At the time Cleaver entered his guilty plea, he was awaiting trial in Newton County Circuit Court on charges of delivery of a controlled substance-methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance- psylocibin, two counts of tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest by fleeing.
Despite this. Judge Dean Dankelson permitted Cleaver to remain free on bond.
Twenty-two days later, the Joplin Police Department arrested Cleaver for tampering with a motor vehicle and driving while revoked. Judge Nicole Marie Carlton set bond at $3,500 cash or surety.
When the date for Cleaver's April 30 sentencing date arrived, Cleaver didn't.
Dankelson granted a continuance to May 5, but made it clear to Cleaver's attorney, Brian Glades, that his client had to appear.
He didn't.
At that point, after Cleaver ignored two sentencing hearings, Dankelson issued a warrant for Cleaver's arrest and set bond at $25,000 surety.
The failure to keep Cleaver behind bars ended in tragedy Monday when Cleaver, once again avoiding the police crashed head-on into another vehicle, killing two people, Christian County Deputy Sheriff Mike Adams and his wife, Ashley Adams and seriously injuring their infant grandson.
The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney's office charged Cleaver with two counts of second degree murder, one count of assault, two counts of aggravated fleeing leading to death and one count of aggravated fleeing leading to injury.
From the probable cause statement:
On 6/30/2025 at approximately 2100 hours, I, Captain Colton Craig, responded to the area of Larch Road and Melton Avenue, Highlandville, Missouri.
Upon arrival I observed a head-on style crash involving a white, Ford F-150 with Kansas license plates 0030AKB and a black, Honda minivan with MO license plate LL1N9Z. I contacted Deputy Guinn, who was on duty and working in his official capacity as a Christian County Sheriff’s deputy. Deputy Guinn further stated he observed the white Ford F-150 leaving the area of a known drug house on Steinert Lane with inoperable headlights.
Deputy Guinn initiated his emergency equipment and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle. The white, Ford F-150 failed to yield to Deputy Guinn’s emergency red and blue flashing lights and audible siren fleeing east bound on Melton Avenue at a high rate of speed.
Deputy Guinn quickly lost sight of the vehicle due to the high rate of speed. Deputy Guinn continued eastbound on Melton Avenue and continued to the area of Tennessee Road where he observed the Ford F-150 traveling through a field directly north of Tennessee Road.
With his emergency equipment activated, Deputy Guinn turned his patrol vehicle around and observed the Ford F-150 exit the field and accelerate westbound on Melton Avenue at a high rate of speed. Deputy Guinn immediately lost sight of the Ford F-150 and traveled westbound on Melton Avenue to attempt to relocate it.
Deputy Guinn arrived at the intersection of Melton Avenue and Larch Road and observed the Ford F-150 had crashed into a black, Honda minivan in the intersection. The two adult occupants of the Honda minivan were pronounced deceased by the Christian County Coroner on scene. An infant child in the mini van was transported to the hospital with serious injury to the head.
While on scene I was provided with a video taken by a bystander on Melton Avenue of the white Ford F-150 traveling westbound on Melton Avenue. The video depicts the Ford F 150 traveling at such a speed that it went airborne causing all four wheels to leave the roadway.
When the vehicles wheels returned to the roadway it lost control fishtailing and subsequently crashing head-on into the Honda mini-van. The driver and sole occupant of the white Ford F-150 was identified as Garrett Cleaver.
A records check of Cleaver revealed he had a felony failure to appear warrant for resisting arrest out of Jasper County and a felony failure to appear warrant for tempering with a motor vehicle out of Jasper County.
A further criminal history check showed Garrett Cleaver to have an extensive criminal history out of Kansas and Missouri to include convictions for vehicular homicide and numerous charges for resisting arrest. Cleaver knowingly fled a lawful traffic stop and operated a motor vehicle at high speed that caused serious physical injury and/or death to another person.According to Kansas records, Cleaver's arrest of vehicular homicide came while he was driving under the influence.
6 comments:
This was so easily prevented. Smh...
So this was the result of an unnecessary chase.
This is the result of a soft on crimeJudge. This guy should have never been released on bail.
Judges should be held accountable DO YOUR JOB
This is the result of Jasper County not handling their criminals like they should. He should've never been out to commit another crime.
Well we have to remember Garrett Is white and by unwritten law he is allowed sympathy and hundreds of chances to get his life on track. Remember drug use is a mental illness. When you’re white….. and a crime for everybody else.
Maybe we should have deported him back to his ancestral roots after the first crime .
Post a Comment