Family of accused Jayda Kyle murderer suspects outside manipulation as SMB, GoFundMe accounts shut down

The family of Jalen Vaden, 22, Carl Junction, the man charged with the murder of three-year-old Jayda Kyle, suspects manipulation by someone powerful as their efforts to raise money for his defense have been shut down.

The latest instance came Wednesday when Southwest Missouri Bank closed the "Vaden Truth Fund."

The account was not a new one at SMB, but a retitled savings account belonging to Quianna Beaver-Vaden, Jalen Vaden's sister.

Bank officials closed the account Tuesday without telling Vaden, who found out when she tried to access it that evening.

SMB Executive Vice President Craig Tankersley explained his reasoning the next morning when Vaden met with him, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by the Turner Report.

"We're going to have to close your account," Tankersley told her. "Unfortunately, with all of the controversy that's surrounding this case, the bank can't be a part of that."

Tankersley then lectured her about the way she publicized her account.

"You guys posted on Facebook- our address, information- and you didn't have permission to do that. It's causing us problems with the rest of our customer base."

The recording indicates Tankersley was asked whether the interference was coming from Jayda Kyle's maternal grandfather attorney Judd McPherson.

He did not respond to the question.

When Vaden asked why she was not notified, Tankersley said the bank was in the process of doing that by sending her a certified letter with a cashier's check covering the amount of money that was in the account. The letter was going out later that day meaning the account would have been closed for two days before Vaden was officially notified.

Tankersley told Vaden she was welcome to try to find another institution to handle her account, but warned her, "You may have trouble getting that account with any other bank."

The Turner Report has learned that the Vaden Truth Fund is not the only SMB account to be closed because of the controversy. A number of the bank's clients closed their accounts after word of bank officials' decision to close the Vaden account circulated on social media.

The closure of the SMB account is not the first problem the Vaden family has encountered while trying to establish a fund to pay for legal expenses.

A GoFundMe account was shut down after complaints that the account was violating a GoFundMe regulation that prohibits the crowdfunding source from being used to raise money for legal expenses.

The money that had been raised was returned to those who contributed it.

Though GoFundMe's rules prohibit that type of account, many of GoFundMe's accounts have been used expressly for that purpose, including an account that was established last year to pay the legal fees of any of the women who accused President Donald Trump of sexual harassment if he followed through on his threat to sue all of them and the most successful GoFundMe fundraiser of all time, the recent effort to raise money to defray legal costs for victims in the MeToo cases.

In social media postings, while no evidence has been provided to indicate McPherson or anyone else as the person or persons responsible for the closing of the SMB and GoFundMe accounts, there is a widespread belief that someone powerful is manipulating the system.

Previous posts



Explosive court documents claim Jayda Kyle's mother turned her death into a social media event

Jayda Kyle's mother to answer questions under oath; defense to add Judd McPherson as a witness

Dankelson refuses to recuse from Jayda Kyle murder case, says he does not have a close relationship with Judd McPherson

Jalen Vaden's lawyer asks for change of judge, cites Dankelson's close relationship with Judd McPherson

Jalen Vaden bond decision delayed, preliminary hearing waived
Accused killer of Jayda Kyle to waive preliminary hearing
Bond motion filed for accused killer of three-year-old Jayda Kyle

Jasper County Sheriff: We are still investigating Jayda Kyle's death

Children's Division documents: Grandfather attempting to manipulate Jayda Kyle murder investigation

Juvenile Office documents: Jayda Kyle suffered bleeding from brain, severely torn retina, probably already brain dead when she arrived in K. C.

Some thoughts on the Joplin Globe's article on the Jayda Kyle murder investigation

Probable cause: Carl Junction man abused three-year-old, left her on the floor bloody, unconscious

Jayda Kyle obituary

Department of Justice issues official news release on former North Middle School reading teacher's child pornography indictment

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A former Joplin, Mo., middle school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Amanda Ruth Schweitzer, 38, of Joplin, was charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon Schweitzer’s arrest and initial court appearance on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. She remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Jan. 30, 2018.

Schweitzer was a teacher at North Middle School in Joplin at the time of the alleged offenses.

The federal indictment alleges that Schweitzer used a minor to produce child pornography from March 1 to March 29, 2017. The indictment also alleges that Schweitzer transferred obscene material to the minor during that time.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

Previous posts

Federal grand jury indicts former Joplin R-8 teacher for sexual exploitation of a minor, transmitting obscene material

New lawsuit against Joplin R-8 claims North Middle School teacher involved in sexual misconduct with three children on school grounds

Mother's claim in lawsuit: North Middle School teacher groomed my son and had sex with him

Court document: Former North Middle School teacher beaten in jail while awaiting trial on felony statutory rape charge

Newton County files kidnapping, rape, sodomy charges against North Middle School teacher

North Middle School teacher behind bars on statutory rape charge

Joplin R-8 Board accepts 15 resignations, iuncluding Doshier and North teacher facing kidnapping, rape charges

Southwest Missouri Democrats to protest Greitens appearance in Joplin next week

(From Southwest Missouri Democrats)

Dark Money, *Disappearing Text Apps, *No Priorities for Jefferson City Ethics Reform, *Bully Tactics with the State Legislature, and *Underhanded Tactics with the State Board of Education, and Water Board... Governor Eric Greitens would not even pass his own Ethics Test!

Join Southwest Missouri Democrats and Indivisible Joplin: Plan MO on Tuesday January 30th at 1:30pm to call out Governor Greitens!!!

Green Party of Joplin & the Green Alliance of Southwest Missouri and Emily Newell Blair Women's Democratic Club will also be hosting protests outside the event.

Governor Greitens is scheduled to speak at 2pm at the Lozier Corporation in Joplin on Schifferdecker Rd.

We will update with further details as needed.

Federal grand jury indicts former Joplin R-8 teacher for sexual exploitation of minor, transmitting obscene material

Former North Middle School reading teacher Amanda Schweitzer, 38, is behind bars once more after a federal grand jury indicted her for sexually exploiting a minor and transmitting obscene material to another minor.

According to the indictment, Schweitzer "used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor, John Doe (DOB 2003) to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction" which was then sent to a child born in 2002.

The charges appear to be in connection with an investigation initiated by the Joplin Police Department after it received reports Schweitzer had sent nude photos of herself to three boys, age 14, 14 and 13. It was during that investigation that they came across the evidence indicating Schweitzer had sex with the 13-year-old.

Schweitzer's first appearance was held today in U. S. District Court in Springfield. She will remain behind bars until a detention hearing and scheduled conference is held 2:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Schweitzer is scheduled to go on trial in April in Jasper County Circuit Court on a felony statutory rape charge for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old student at her home March 29.

She is also charged with three felony charges, kidnapping, statutory rape, and statutory sodomy in Newton County for allegedly taking the same 13-year-old boy to the Water's Edge Camp Ground and having sex with him.

Two lawsuits have been filed in Jasper County Circuit Court in connection with the case.

Previous posts

Department of Justice issues official news release on indictment of former North Middle School reading teacher on child pornography charge

New lawsuit against Joplin R-8 claims North Middle School teacher involved in sexual misconduct with three children on school grounds

Mother's claim in lawsuit: North Middle School teacher groomed my son and had sex with him

Court document: Former North Middle School teacher beaten in jail while awaiting trial on felony statutory rape charge

Newton County files kidnapping, rape, sodomy charges against North Middle School teacher

North Middle School teacher behind bars on statutory rape charge

Joplin R-8 Board accepts 15 resignations, iuncluding Doshier and North teacher facing kidnapping, rape charges

Greitens announces support for law protecting canine officers

(From Gov. Eric Greitens)

Statement from Governor Eric Greitens:

“Today, after some meetings in Kansas City, I stopped by for a workout with some Kansas City police officers. We were joined by guys from the Cass County Sheriff’s office—and Champ, one of the K-9s who works with them. He’s a German Shepherd who has been with the Cass County Sheriff’s office for four years.

Last month, Champ was stabbed in the side of the neck while pursuing a suspect.

In Missouri, stabbing a police K-9 carries about the same penalty as not returning a library book.

That’s not right.

In Iowa, if you hurt a police animal, you can go to jail for up to five years. If you hurt an FBI dog, you can go to jail for up to 10 years.

We need to strengthen Missouri’s laws. These K-9s do incredible work on behalf of our people. They are trained, tough dogs, and they help keep Missourians safe. There’s a bill to do that working its way through the legislature now. It’s called “Champ’s Law,” and it’s a bill I support.

Champ is a fighter. He’s recovered from his wounds, and he’s back on duty. We’re grateful for him and for the men and women of law enforcement.”

Graves: Democrats staged government shutdown to distract us from Trump's successful first year

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

For three days over this past weekend, the federal government was shut down. You probably found yourself scratching your head as to why such a drastic step was taken. Many, including myself, were left infuriated and asking ourselves, “what was the purpose?”

The answer is simple if we look at the facts.

Liberal Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decided that fixing a controversial illegal immigration issue was more important than funding our military and providing health insurance for 9 million American children. The fact that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program doesn’t expire for months didn’t stop the minority party from playing politics and effectively gambling with the livelihoods of countless American families.

Another reality is that this plot was devised in an effort to distract us from the success of President Trump’s first year in office. It’s no coincidence that after a year that saw major tax cuts for families, record-setting stock market growth, a declining unemployment rate and steady GDP growth, a manufactured crisis was used to distract our nation from these successes.

Fortunately, the American people saw through the political games. It should have been no surprise that shutting down the government over a divisive immigration issue was a bad idea. Due to pressure from the general public, Senator Schumer finally relented and the government is now open again.

For the strength of our military and the continued economic growth of our country, we need a long-term budget that properly funds our military and reigns in wasteful spending. I look forward to getting back to work for the American people and ensuring that our troops have the resources they need to keep this country safe.

Toys R Us to close 182 stores, including four in Missouri, Joplin not on list

Toys R Us, still working its way through bankruptcy, filed plans in court to close 182 stores, including four in Missouri.

The Joplin store is not included on the list.

The company will close stores in Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Bridgeton and Chesterfield.

Explosive court documents claim Jayda Kyle's mother turned her death into a social media event

Documents filed in a child custody case cast a different light on events surrounding the murder of three-year-old Jayda Kyle.

The motion to modify filed December 27 in Jasper County Circuit Court, alleges that Jayda's mother, Devyn Kyle misled the public with a "Prayers for Jayda" Facebook page that was created the night Jayda suffered the abusive head trauma that caused her death and kept telling the public there was hope for Jayda when she had already been told the girl was brain dead.


The document also describes how Devyn Kyle immediately told the public that Jayda's organs were being donated and included a photo of her holding Jayda's hand.

According to the motion, which was filed by Wesley Barnum, Webb City, the attorney for Devyn Kyle's ex-husband Mac Kyle, "(her) children have been used as social media pawns."

The documents allege Devyn Kyle "suffers from emotional issues, self esteem issues and the need for constant attention."

The filing was the latest in a bitter custody battle. Earlier in the month, Devyn Kyle's attorneys filed a motion to modify seeking to restrict Mac Kyle's access to their son, citing his previous run-ins with the law.

Mac Kyle's counter motion to modify described a situation in which the children's mother and her parents, Judd and Carmen McPherson, spoke badly about Mac Kyle, with Devyn encouraging the children to call Jalen Vaden, her live-in boyfriend "daddy."

Jalen Vaden, 22, was arrested December 6 on second degree murder and felony child abuse charges in connection with Jayda's death.



The documents attempt to portray Devyn Kyle as someone who used the Prayers for Jayda Facebook page to create a version of what was happening with the child that came nowhere near the truth.

"(She) led the public to believe that the child had been 'found non-responsive on the floor in her bedroom' and it was a possible aneurysm," at a time she and her family had already been told Jayda suffered abusive head trauma "and her eyes were fixed and she was brain dead."

The motion indicates that Devyn Kyle did not tell Jayda's father about his daughter's condition for an hour and a half, long after she had used social media to tell her friends and neighbors her version of what happened.

Mac Kyle ran into difficulty when he arrived at Children's Mercy Hospital where Jayda had been taken by Life Flight.

According to the documents, when Mac Kyle arrived in Kansas City, he discovered that the boyfriend Jalen Vaden to have the "father" bracelet "knowing that (he) was suspected of injuring the child." The motion claims that neither Devyn Kyle or Vaden were allowed to ride with Jayda to Children's Mercy Hospital "because she and her boyfriend were suspected of causing the physical injury."

The documents indicate Devyn Kyle continued to show concern for her boyfriend even after he was arrested for Jayda's murder.

She "continued to send text messages to the Vaden family exhibiting concern about the defendant and inquiring, 'How is he doing?' "



The motion repeats the allegations made in the Department of Social Services Children's Division report that Judd McPherson interfered with the investigation into Jayda's death.

It also notes that Devyn Kyle failed to appear at a juvenile court hearing, with McPherson saying it was because she was grieving.

The motion alleges that her grieving included appointments to have her hair and nails done and having dinner with her boyfriend and friends.

Previous posts

Jayda Kyle's mother to answer questions under oath; defense to add Judd McPherson as a witness

Dankelson refuses to recuse from Jayda Kyle murder case, says he does not have a close relationship with Judd McPherson

Jalen Vaden's lawyer asks for change of judge, cites Dankelson's close relationship with Judd McPherson

Jalen Vaden bond decision delayed, preliminary hearing waived
Accused killer of Jayda Kyle to waive preliminary hearing
Bond motion filed for accused killer of three-year-old Jayda Kyle

Jasper County Sheriff: We are still investigating Jayda Kyle's death

Children's Division documents: Grandfather attempting to manipulate Jayda Kyle murder investigation

Juvenile Office documents: Jayda Kyle suffered bleeding from brain, severely torn retina, probably already brain dead when she arrived in K. C.

Some thoughts on the Joplin Globe's article on the Jayda Kyle murder investigation

Probable cause: Carl Junction man abused three-year-old, left her on the floor bloody, unconscious

Jayda Kyle obituary

Watch Joplin R-8 Board of Education meeting live

MSSU president: Greitens' proposed cuts will lead to compromised educational path for Missouri students

(From Missouri Southern State University President Alan Marble)

Yesterday's announcement of the Governor's FY19 budget proposal confirmed our concerns that, despite the benefit of providing a more educated workforce in Missouri, higher education continues to be identified as the sector capable of absorbing deep budget cuts. Cuts, that in my opinion, will lead to a compromised educational path for students in our state.

The Governor's proposed budget would result in a core reduction of $2.4 million for Missouri Southern - taking us back to the levels of state funding we received before 2001. Additionally, we will face another $2.1 million withholding that can be earned back through the successful completion of six performance funding measures.

Unfortunately, this proposed budget announcement continues the trend of eroding state support for higher education across Missouri, which we have been experiencing since 2010. Over the course of nine years, we will have lost a total of $5.4 million in state funding. With the added burden of Senate Bill 389, which limits the amount of tuition colleges and universities can charge, it is a financial paradox with no easy solutions.

We continue to be hopeful and trust that the General Assembly will advocate for increased higher education funding. Missouri Southern is vital to our students, our region, and our economy. It's no secret we have historically been underfunded in comparison to our peers. And, the potential for more cuts only magnifies this problem.

When discussing our state's low national ranking for its investment in higher education, a former colleague once said “If we are not careful, we will be in a race to the bottom.”



To me, it appears we are winning a race where everyone loses.