Showing posts with label courts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label courts. Show all posts

Monday, June 02, 2014

Probable cause statement: Teacher, student had sex on living room floor

After-school sexual encounters on the living room floor of her student's home are among the crimes detailed in the probable cause statement that led Jasper County Prosecutors to file felony rape, sodomy, and pornography charges against Joplin High School communication arts teacher Jessica Low.

Low, 32, was arrested shortly after the school day ended May 29 at the 9-10 Center (the former Memorial Middle School), where she has taught the last two years.

The probable cause statement is printed below:

I, Det. Chip Root, knowing that false statements on this form are punishable by law, state that the facts contained herein are true:

I have probable cause to believe that on May 25, 2014, at (address omitted), Jessica Lynn Low, a white female, committed one or more criminal offenses of statutory rape in the second degree, statutory sodomy in the second degree, furnishing pornographic material to a minor.

On May 28, 2014, it was reported by the Joplin School District that they had received an anonymous complaint that Jessica Low, a Joplin High School teacher, had sent nude images of herself to a Joplin 10th grade student, identified as 16-year-old "IF (date of birth omitted) via cellular telephone.

School district staff reported the incident to the Joplin Police Department. The affiant contacted IF's father regarding the complaint. The father admitted that he had witnessed the nude images of Jessica Low on his son's cell phone on May 25, 2014.

The father further stated that he had spoken to his son and his son's 16-year-old male friend about Low sending the nude pictures of herself. The 16-year-old friend is identified as "MS" (date of birth omitted) . MS volunteered that he had also observed the nude images of Low and had also had sexual intercourse with Low.

IF also admitted that he had witnessed the nude images of Low and also had sexual intercourse with Low. IF's father admitted that he had witnessed the nude images of Jessica Low on his son's cell phone while at their Joplin residence.

He advised he and his wife confronted Low by telephone and she subsequently admitted to sending the nude images to their son. The father further stated he recorded the images sent by Low using his cell phone, which was later examined with his permission. Several nude images of a white female were observed including photos of the subject's breasts and close-up photos of her vagina and some images depict the use of a sexual device.

On May 29, 2014, the affiant witnessed a child forensic interview at the Joplin Children's Center of IF. During the interview, IF declared that he had received 25 to 40 nude images of Jessica Low via cell phone text messages and admitted they had discussed meeting for sex. He stated the images depicted her breasts, as well as her vagina and said she was masturbating during the images. The child advised Low had sent him the images on Wednesday of last week, May 28, 2014.

On May 29, 2014, the affiant witnessed a child forensic interview of MS at the Joplin Children's Center. During the child's interview, MS disclosed on Monday, May 19, 2014, Low followed MS home from school and the two had vaginal intercourse on the living room floor of his residence. He said on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Low again followed him home from school and she performed oral sex on him and they also had sexual intercourse a second time.
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Saturday, May 24, 2014

Springfield coach bound over on charge of raping, murdering 10-year-old girl

This report from KOLR's Lindsey Clein includes video, but no audio from former Pleasant Hill Middle School Coach Craig Michael Wood's since the judge would not allow it. Ms. Clein does an excellent job of describing the emotional and graphic testimony from the hearing. Wood is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, armed criminal action, rape, and sodomy in connection with the February 18 death of 10-year-old Hailey Owens of Springfield. Wood will be arraigned 8:30 a.m. June 20, in Greene County Circuit Court.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Besendorfer: I wasn't the one who sabotaged Larry Masters' job

One of former Joplin R-8 Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer's affirmative defenses to allegations by former Royal Heights Principal Larry Masters that her lies cost him his administrative position is to point the finger at other people.

In her response to Masters's wrongful discharge lawsuit, filed Feb. 27 in Jasper County Circuit Court, Besendorfer's attorney, Karl Blanchard, lists a number of defenses against Masters' claims including sovereign immunity, the public duty doctrine, and the all-purpose somebody else did it.

To the best knowledge and belief of defendant any decision by the Joplin School Board to rescind its offer to rehire plaintiff as a principal was based upon facts and information gathered and presented by individuals other than the defendant and that said facts and information justified the rescinsion of  his contract.

What exactly was said to the Joplin R-8 Board of Education to cause Masters, a veteran and respected principal, to lose his job, may never be known, thanks to a ruling by Judge David Dally that board member Jim Kimbrough could not talk about anything that occurred in a closed session. That ruling was made at the request of R-8 Attorney John Nicholas, who also received permission from Dally to sit in on depositions even though Masters' lawsuit is against Besendorfer and not the school district.

Masters' attorney appealed Dally's ruling and the Southern District Board of Appeals has set a deadline of March 24 for a response as to why the ruling should not be set aside.

Masters is one of many Joplin R-8 principals who have lost their jobs since the C. J. Huff-Angie Besendorfer regime took over the Joplin Schools. While the two top officials have stayed the same (until Ms. Besendorfer's resignation to become Western Governors University chancellor takes effect at the end of this month) and six of the seven Board of Education members have remained the same since C. J. Huff became superintendent in 2008 and allowed Ms. Besendorfer to handle the principals and teachers, only three principals remain and as noted earlier on the Turner Report, hundreds of teachers have either left or been shown the door, including more than 200 in the past two years.

According to the lawsuit, Masters, who had been Royal Heights principal since 2004, had already been offered a contract for the 2010-2011 school year when Ms. Besendorfer stepped in.

"Defendant intentionally interfered in Plaintiff's expectancy by making false representations about Plaintiff to the Joplin Schools Board of Education. Said representations included, but were not limited to, accusations that Plaintiff had violated the regulations governing administration of the MAP test."

Because of those "misrepresentations," the petition says, "The Board of Education voted on or about April 15, 2010, to rescind its motion to offer the contract of employment to the plaintiff."

The lawsuit lists no defendant other than Ms. Besendorfer. "There was no justification for (her) actions," the petition says.

"As a result of Defendant's actions, Plaintiff has suffered damages, including lost wages, mental and emotional distress."

Besendorfer's actions are referred to as "willful, wanton, and made with the knowledge that they would cause damage to Plaintiff>"

Masters' attorney, Raymond Lampert of Springfield, is asking that Masters receive "lost wages, mental and emotional damage, punitive damages, the costs of this action, and to grant such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper."



Monday, March 10, 2014

Change of venue sought for man accused of murdering MSSU coach

A March 28 hearing has been set on a change of venue request for the Joplin man accused of murdering Missouri Southern State University offensive line coach Derek Moore.

Jeffrey Bruner, 40, is charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the November 1 shooting death of Moore outside of Northstar Regal 14 Theater. Police say the murder took place when Bruner confronted his estranged wife, Dawn Michele Bruner, and Moore.

As it stands now, Bruner's trial is scheduled to begin January 20, 2015, in Jasper County Circuit Court, with Judge Gayle Crane presiding.

Another motions hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, April 14.


Sunday, March 09, 2014

Carthage R-9 School Board member arrested for DWI

For the second time in less than a month, a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper has arrested a Jasper County board of education member for driving while intoxicated in Newton County.

Online Highway Patrol records show that Dr. Mark Westhoff, 56, Carthage, a member of the Carthage R-9 Board of Education, was pulled over at 3:33 a.m. today, but not without some difficulty.

In addition to the misdemeanor DWI charge, Westhoff was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle displaying red and blue lights and siren and failure to drive on the right half of the roadway.

At one time, Westhoff was board president. His term expires in April 2016.

On February 4, Joplin R-8 Board of Education member Phil Willcoxon was cited for driving while intoxicated and speeding. Willcoxon's arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2, in Newton County Circuit Court.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

New judge appointed for Bobby Bourne trial, hearing on change of venue delayed

Newton County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Perigo will be in charge when the trial of Bobby Dean Bourne takes place.

The Missouri Supreme Court appointed Perigo today after Judge James Bickel recused himself from the case.

Because of the change of judge, the March 17 hearing on the request by Bourne's lawyer, Thomas Jacquinot for a change of venue from the Barton County Courthouse in Lamar will be postponed.

Jacquinot filed the motion last week, citing the amount of publicity the case has received.

Bourne, 35, Lockwood, is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, statutory rape, and armed criminal action in connection with the August 19 murder of 12-year-old Adriaunna Horton of Golden City.

Barton County Prosecuting Attorney Steven Kaderly has filed his intent to seek the death penalty.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Former bridal planner's lawyer withdraws after six client no-shows

If Joplin businesswoman Amy Lynn Jones ever shows up for a court hearing, she will have to do so with a new lawyer.

Jasper County online court records indicate Joplin lawyer Brian Glades' withdrawal from the case was approved February 10.

Mrs. Jones, the owner of Dream Maker, a wedding planning business, failed to show for her last six scheduled hearings on a felony bad check charge. After the sixth no-show, Judge Richard Copeland issued a warrant for her arrest and set bond at $3,000. Court records do not indicate that she has been arrested.

The allegations against Mrs. Jones were spelled out in the following probable cause statement:
On 7/22/2013 Amy L. Jones presented check #8406. An altered check, to the Community Bank & Trust, located at 5570 N. Main St. Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, on the account of Pulaski County Tourism Bureau in the amount of $330.00 and purported the check to be real and genuine.
On 7/25/2013, an altered check, was presented to the Community Bank and Trust, located at 5570 N. Main St. Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, on the account of LA2Missouri Fitness LLC in the amount of $300.00 and purported the check to be real and genuine.
Witness, Beth Wiles the Executive Director of the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau and Visitors Center, stated that they did not authorize the altering of check #8406 for the payee to be changed from “city of Joplin” to “dream Makers Events”.
Witness, Amy Wills with Anytime Fitness (LA2Missouri Fitness LLC), stated that they did not authorize the altering of check #2862 for the payee to be changed from “city of Joplin” to “dream Makers event”.
Amy Jones is one of the owners of “Dream Makers Event” and was the person on bank security video presenting the check #8406 as real and genuine.
Amy Jones, Dream Makers Events, was contracted by the city of Joplin to collect fees for the Route 66 International Festival and agreed to accept checks that were made out to the City of Joplin.
No authorization was given by the City of Joplin for any checks to be altered.
Amy Jones admitted that she was the one who altered the checks and that it was her handwriting. The city of Joplin will assist in the prosecution.

Preliminary hearing for coach accused of murdering Hailey Owens postponed indefinitely

A second change of judge was granted Monday in the first degree murder case against Springfield Pleasant View Coach Craig Michael Wood, causing a delay in his scheduled April 23 preliminary hearing.

The preliminary hearing for Wood, who is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, and armed criminal action in connection with the February 18 death of 10-year-old Hailey Owens of Springfield, had already been pushed back from March 19 to April 7 before the first change of judge was granted.

The first change of judge came at the request of Wood's lawyer, public defender Christopher Shane Hatley. The second was requested by the prosecution, according to online court records.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

April 23 preliminary hearing set for Craig Michael Wood

A 1:15 p.m. April 23 preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Greene County Circuit Court for Craig Michael Wood, 45, Springfield, charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, and armed criminal action in connection with the February 18 death of 10-year-old Hailey Owens.

The hearing will be heard before Judge Jason Brown, who replaced Judge Dan Imhof folowing a motion by Wood's attorney, public defender Christopher Shane Hatley.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Killer of Kansas City teenager set to receive death penalty in a few hours

Craig Michael Wood's first hearing postponed indefinitely, change of judge granted

The first hearing for Springfield Pleasant View Coach Craig Michael Wood in the Hailey Owens murder case has been postponed indefinitely after Wood's public defender asked for and was granted a change of judge.

The hearing for Wood, who is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, and armed criminal action in connection with the February 18 death of 10-year-old Hailey Woods, had already been pushed back from March 19 to April 7 before the change of judge was granted.

Wood's hearing will now be held before Judge Jason Brown, according to court records.

The records indicate that public defender Christopher Shane Hatley is still defending Wood, a point of contention with the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney's office, which noted that Wood has a $1 million trust fund.