Investigation

EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. -- A large drug bust in Eureka Springs ended with more than two dozen people behind bars. The Eureka Springs police chief said a five month investigation led to the arrests after a person arrested earlier on a burglary charge agreed to be an informant. The chief said the deal led to undercover officers buying drugs from suspected dealers. Arkansas and Missouri law enforcers made the arrests.

AVA, Mo. -- A man from Ava is accused of holding a teenager against her will and sexually assaulting her.  Jacob James, 31, was charged on Friday with forcible rape, forcible sodomy, armed criminal action, first-degree domestic assault, felonious restraint, and tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution. Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase says James was arrested early Friday after an investigation that lasted nearly a week.  He said nearly every deputy in his department worked on the case.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Court documents reveal names of two people considered suspects in the deaths of a couple from rural Greene County last year. U.S. Marshals arrested Tony and Windy Friend on Wednesday at the home where they lived at 3155 W. Brower St., lot #10, in Springfield. Both Tony Friend, 44, and Windy Friend, 31, were charged in Greene County associate circuit court with possessing methamphetamine.  Tony Friend was also charged in U.S. District Court with being a felon in possession of a weapon.  He is previously convicted for unlawful use of a weapon and domestic assault.

Investigators are trying to find out what caused a business to burst into flames. It started around 3:30 p.m. in a scooter store warehouse near Archies Lounge - that's near Glenstone and Grand. Crews were quick to respond to the scene, trying to stop the flames from reaching any of the surrounding businesses. No word yet on what started the blaze.  No one was hurt.  No word yet on the extent of the damage, but flames were going through the roof.

NIXA, Mo. - Police are investigating a late Sunday night shooting in Nixa. According to a release, police say a 37-year-old man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  It happened at around 11 p.m. at a house in the 400 block of south Devonshire.  Police say the victim was transported to a Springfield hospital where he was pronounced dead. Nixa officials say an autopsy will be completed.    

CASSVILLE, Mo. -- An autopsy on Friday could help investigators determine how a woman from Cassville died.  Vicki Clark, 43, died at a home here on Wednesday. Police say they have a person of interest in the case but had not made any arrests, as of Thursday.  They call Clark's death suspicious but refused to release any details.

Crime Stoppers and the Springfield Fire Department are asking for help finding anyone involved in starting a fire in a local church early Tuesday morning. The fire was set a little after 4:30 a.m. inside the New Apostolic Church at 1340 E. Norton Road.  Right now, investigators don't have leads or descriptions of possible suspects, but they're hoping someone may have seen a suspicious person or vehicle in the area at the time of the fire. If you were in the area of the time, saw anything suspicious or know the suspects, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers at 869-TIPS (8477)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- Two years ago to the day, three young children died in a house fire on West Olive Street in Springfield.  Investigators say they still don't know what started the blaze.  Seven year old Alexis, five year old Kelsey and four year old Devin Watson died March 15th, 2010 after their home caught fire as they slept.  Investigators first thought it was arson, but the investigation turned up another possible cause, the case is...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Reports from Jefferson City say the Conservation Department is investigating whether the extreme drought has killed several head of elk.  The herd the state imported over the past two years lives in a sanctuary in the southeastern Ozarks.  A conservation biologist says the stress of moving the elk to Missouri from Kentucky may be connected to record heat and scarcer food as a deadly combination. Tests are underway.

Springfield, Mo. -- The air conditioning units belonging to a small congregation on the city's northside were stripped for copper in March.  Two months later, Springfield Police said there are no leads, and they are no longer investigating the case.    Volunters at Central Baptist Church on N. National are hauling in loads of donated electronics, books, toys, and clothes to set up for the church rummage sale Friday and Saturday. "We're hoping we get some good people to come by and visit with us that are willing to donate," said Keith Wyrick, one of church members.

ST. ROBERT, Mo. - Police are investigating a call made to 911 earlier this morning that someone had been shot at a motel in St. Robert, but authorities have not found anyone that had been shot. St. Robert police responded early this morning to an Econo Lodge in the 300 block of State Highway Z, where a caller had reported a shooting had taken place. Police and deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department found nothing, and are trying to locate the original caller. Information at this point is preliminary, police said, and a news release is expected to be sent later this morning.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Police are looking for two people involved in an apparent attempted robbery at a Walgreens store in east Springfield. The cashier on duty said two people wearing red bandanas entered the Walgreens at 2640 E. Sunshine St. just after 4 a.m., and one of them displayed a gun. The two asked where the manager was, but the cashier told them the manager was in the back. The two then ran out of the store without taking anything, according to the cashier. Security footage containing images of the two have been turned over to Springfield police.

HALLTOWN, Mo. -- A home in rural Lawrence County was destroyed by a large fire on Monday morning. At least three fire departments fought the fire, which was reported in a home on Lawrence County Road 2040 just before 6 a.m.  Firefighters from Mount Vernon, Bois D'Arc and West Republic responded but could not save the home. Firefighters also used tankers to help fight the blaze, which was roughly three and a half miles to the northwest of Halltown. Investigators will try to determine what caused the fire.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A fire damaged a large portion of a home that a family was set to move into in east Springfield. Springfield fire officials say crews were called to fight the blaze in the 1000 block of South Stewart at 12:40 Monday morning. A passerby had called 911 and reported heavy fire in the back of the home. Firefighters put the blaze out in 10 to 15 minutes, officials said. The fire marshal is investigating the blaze's cause. No one was inside the home at the time.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While an audit of the Department of Revenue is being conducted by the State Auditor's Office, Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones announced Monday he will form an "independent and bi-partisan" committee to do the same. Jones announced the formation of the committee Monday and introduced Stoddard County Prosecutor Russ Oliver as a member of the committee.  Oliver filed a lawsuit against the DOR earlier this year while representing Stoddard County resident Eric Griffin.  Griffin had objected to his identification papers being scanned while getting a conceal and carry weapons (CCW)

OSCEOLA, Mo. -- The son of a former fire chief is accused of using a credit card belonging to the Sac-Osage Fire Protection District for his personal use.   Michael Mullaney Jr, 27, was charged on Tuesday with stealing a little more than $2,300. Mullaney used to be a Sac-Osage volunteer firefighter until he moved from Osceola to Pleasant Hill last June.  His father was the longtime Sac-Osage fire chief until he resigned this year.  An investigator for the Missouri State Highway Patrol writes in the probable cause statement that Mullaney had access to the Sac-Osage fire chief's desk, which had “an unsecured fuel card issued to SOFPD for the sole purpose of providing fuel to prescribed vehicles and firefighting related activity.”   The investigator believes Mullaney took that card with him when he moved.  Over the next six months, the card was used at several convenience stores in the Kansas City area, including in Harrison and Grandview, but no Sac-Osage fire engines were in that area at those times.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. -- A three-week investigation may have solved up to 10 burglary and theft cases on both sides of the Arkansas-Missouri border.  Two people, Darrell Allen and Tracy Matthews, are charged in Carroll County with one of the burglaries and could be charged with more. On April 7, Carroll County Sgt. Daniel Klatt responded to a residential house fire at 665 CR 2415.  The house belongs to Terry and Vivian Thornton.  The investigation determined several items were stolen from the house before the fire.

AVA, Mo. -- A man from Ava is accused of holding a teenager against her will and sexually assaulting her.  Jacob James, 31, was charged on Friday with forcible rape, forcible sodomy, armed criminal action, first-degree domestic assault, felonious restraint, and tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution. Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase says James was arrested early Friday after an investigation that lasted nearly a week.  He said nearly every deputy in his department worked on the case.

      KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Investigators have confirmed that a body found on Kansas City's south side is that of a 14-year-old who had not been seen since Sunday.  Police spokesman Darin Snapp says the body was identified Thursday as that of Montee Ross Jr., who was reported missing Monday. His death is being investigated as a homicide.  The Kansas City Star reports Alicia Temple last saw her son Sunday when he, her daughter and her 12-year-old son walked to a store. The younger son later told her Montee left with a friend.  Temple's daughter heard rumors at school that Montee had been accidentally shot inside a townhome and was buried nearby.