AUTHORITIES IN BUTLER COUNTY STILL SEARCHING FOR MISSING PUXICO MANButler County authorities are seeking help in locating a Puxico man who has been missing since last month.
Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs tells us that 50 year old Tim Harbin was last seen in April at K and J’s Git-N-Go in Fisk. Sheriff Dobbs says Harbin could be in serious danger and foul play has not been ruled out.
Authorities also cannot find Harbin’s truck, a black Ford F150 with a sliver stripe. Anyone with information on Harbin’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
SAMPLES TAKEN FROM TRUCK A MATCH FOR DEAD POPLAR BLUFF TEEN Poplar Bluff police say results have come back in connection to an incident last year that claimed the life of a Poplar Bluff teenager.
We spoke with Detective Josh Stewart with the Poplar Bluff Police Department about the findings:
DET. JOSH STEWART:
On December 9th 2015, officers of the Poplar Bluff Police Department responded to a fatality leaving the scene accident at the intersection of Kanell Boulevard and Maud Street. Heavenly Hafford, 13 of Poplar Bluff, ultimately lost her life as a result of being struck by two vehicles. Witnesses at the scene provided descriptions of the two vehicles; a blue Volkswagen Beetle, later determined to belong to Randall Sparks, 42 of Poplar Bluff, and a black Ford F-150; later determined to belong to Benjamin Ressel, 39 of Poplar Bluff. In processing Ressel's vehicle, investigators obtained several swabs of suspected biological material. These swabs, along with a sample of Heavenly Hafford’s DNA, were later submitted to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crime laboratory in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Poplar Bluff Police Department recently received a certified lab report indicating one of the swabs submitted, taken from the skid plate of Mr. Ressel's vehicle, was a match to the sample provided for Heavenly Hafford. This information, along with the original report, was forwarded to the Butler County Prosecuting Attorney requesting charges. The investigation into this incident is considered closed.
We will continue following this story for you and will provide an update if charges are filed.
UPDATED: SUSPECT SHOT DURING ATTEMPTED BURGLARY IN WAYNE COUNTY A man was shot and killed Tuesday during an alleged attempted burglary at a home in Wayne County.
According to authorities, 54 year old Douglas West, of Williamsville, was shot in the chest as he was allegedly attempting to burglarize the home.
He was taken to a Poplar Bluff hospital where he passed away. The incident is under investigation.
WOMAN ALLEGEDLY STABS BOYFRIEND FOR BEING UNFAITHFUL A Poplar Bluff woman is facing charges after she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend for being unfaithful.
KWOC News spoke with Detective Josh Stewart with the Poplar Bluff Police Department about the incident.
DET. JOSH STEWART:
On the afternoon of Tuesday May 24th, 2016, officers with the Poplar Bluff Police Department responded to a reported stabbing in the 1100 block of North Main Street. Upon arrival, officers found the victim Eljie Johnson, 24 of Poplar Bluff, suffering from stab wounds. Johnson was subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Officers also came into contact with Johnson's girlfriend nineteen-year-old Bethany Payne. Payne admitted to assaulting Johnson due to him being unfaithful. Payne was placed under arrest for 2nd degree domestic assault and later lodged at the Butler County Justice Center.
IDENTITY RELEASED OF SUSPECT ARRESTED FOLLOWING RISCO BANK ROBBERY Updating a story we brought to you yesterday, authorities have released the identity of a man arrested after a bank robbery Tuesday in Risco.
According to the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department, they were alerted Tuesday of an armed robbery at the First State Community Bank in Risco, where a black male had entered the bank with a gun and demanded money.
The suspect then left the bank with an undetermined amount of money. Officers with the Malden Police Department located the suspect’s vehicle, and when they made contact with the driver, they observed several items used in the bank robbery in the front seat.
The officers took the suspect, George Reed, into custody and located a package of methamphetamine along with a large amount of cash. Several of the bills matched the First State Community Bank's serial numbers of U.S. currency that had been stolen.
Reed is being held on a $50,000 cash only bond for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
ONE DEAD, TWO INJURED FOLLOWING HEAD ON COLLISION IN GREENE COUNTY A Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, man has died following a head on collision Tuesday afternoon in Greene County.
According to the Arkansas State Police, a vehicle driven by 22 year old Jerrod Leisure reportedly crossed the center line of Highway 135, near Oak Grove, and struck another vehicle.
Leisure was killed in the wreck. A passenger in Leisure’s vehicle and the driver of the second vehicle suffered unidentified injuries and were taken to area hospitals.
MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL TO PARTICIPATE IN PROJECT OVER HOLIDAY WEEKEND State troopers throughout Southeast Missouri will be taking to the highways this weekend as a part of a statewide enforcement project.
Captain Jeffrey Vitale, commanding officer of Troop E in Poplar Bluff tells us that Troop E officers will take part in a peak travel crash reduction enforcement program on Friday, May 27th, and Monday, May 30th.
During the program, a trooper will be placed every 20 miles on Interstates 55 and 57, along with other selected secondary roads.
Vitale says the objective of the project is to place a trooper in close proximity of motorists who may need assistance and to enforce aggressively all traffic violations which may contribute to unsafe traveling conditions.
