Month: April 2021

On Thursday, April 29, 2021, numerous criminal charges were filed on John Robert Scott, age 29, of Clinton, stemming from on-going criminal investigations into two (2) separate shooting incidents that both occurred on Friday evening, April 23, 2021, in the southeast portion of Henry County.

Charges filed by the Henry County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office include counts of 1st degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as single counts of 1st degree robbery and 1st degree burglary. Scott is currently being held at the Henry County Detention Center with no bond on these charges.

Kevin Lee Thornburg, age 32, is still wanted on an active felony warrant for a parole violation (original charge of 2nd degree burglary), which was issued on January 8, 2021, as well as other municipal warrants, and is still being considered a person of interest and needed for questioning regarding his knowledge into the April 23, 2021, incident which occurred on SE 250 in the Coal area.

Information has been developed that leads local law enforcement to believe that Thornburg may have been transported to the Clinton area, after he showed up at a residence in western Henry County near the Bates County Line, asking for a ride due to his vehicle being stuck in a field. He was reportedly transported, then dropped off near the western edge of Clinton, where he exited a vehicle and walked into the timberline.

Thornburg’s vehicle has since been located in the western portion of Henry County after the Sheriff’s Office drone was deployed and assisted with locating the vehicle during an aerial search. The vehicle was stuck in a field and contained numerous personal items belonging to Thornburg.

The location of the firearm used during the commission of these crimes is believed to be known and recovery efforts will be commencing in an attempt to locate it.Extreme caution is still being urged, if coming into contact with Thornburg for any reason.

If anyone has any information regarding either of these on-going investigations or of Kevin Thornburg’s current location, please contact Henry County Central Communications @ (660) 885-5587 or your local law enforcement agency.

Last Days of April and First Days of May…

1872 – The Bates Co Record newspaper has the story of some Cass Co officials trying to abscond with Tebo & Neosho railroad bonds.  They are taken off a train near Gunn City and shot, the bonds brought back to Harrisonville.  This same railroad had berm & grading done through East Butler.
1879 – Hannah & Shaw are digging a 1,000 gallon cistern under their new building site at the East end of the North side of the Butler square.
1885 – Members of the Butler Silver Cornet Band parade through Butler streets to show off their new uniforms.
1885 – 9 freight cars are derailed on the Missouri Pacific railroad, 3 ½ miles North of Butler, when the engine strikes 4 horses about 4 AM.  The passenger train, following the freight train, is delayed several hours.
1908 – A terrible hail storm flattens the Pleasant Gap area.
1915 – Today is Hume’s annual clean-up day when all outhouses are to be cleaned and disinfected, by proclamation of Mayor Billings.
1918 – 19 more prime Bates Co young men depart on the 10:45 am train for Camp Funston at Fort Riley, Kansas for their military duty.
1895 – Luther Parks & Ezra Parks, brothers living 7 miles Northwest of Butler, have a fight over a horse they are training.  Luther shoots Ezra dead with a shotgun.  Luther is arrested and will probably be taken back to the asylum, where he’s been twice before.
1882 – Messrs Hagedorn and Suden, of Jefferson City, purchase the photo gallery on West Ohio Street, Butler.
1892 – Charles & Laura Conklin buy lots 19 & 20 in Passaic, for the building of the Passaic Union Church.
1882 – Jack Bailey, of Rich Hill, catches a 33 pound sturgeon fish in the Marais Des Cygne River, east of town. 

And finally, a local baseball report from The (Adrian) Journal, 1915:
Buckeye Joe and his forty and nine baseball cohorts met and defeated Harry K West and his gallants on the Adrian diamond Wednesday by a score of 13 to 0.  Buckeye Joe says that his men would have won 101 to 0 but the game lasted only four innings.  Harry K says that Buckeye Joe and his men are wind-jammers and not ball players, that he had but four men and this was only a practice game, and swears that he and his men can walk on Buckeye Joe’s neck in a fair game.

Courtesy of Mid America Live

On Thursday, April 29, 2021, a criminal charge was filed on Katelin R. Dugan, age 20, of Deepwater, stemming from an on-going criminal investigation into an incident that occurred on Friday evening, April 9, 2021, on SW 250, in the Ladue area.  A 2^nd degree burglary charge was filed by the Henry County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.  Dugan was released from the Henry County Detention Center after posting a $10,000 dollar surety bond for this charge.

Trail cameras set up on the property captured photographs of a female perpetrator reported to be Dugan, as well as a male accomplice driving a white, full-sized Chevrolet pickup truck, with stolen items visible in the bed of the truck which were taken from the victim’s outbuilding.  The photographs of the perpetrators and suspect vehicle were posted to social media sites and the female suspect was identified as Dugan by numerous persons who contacted the victim and the Sheriff’s Office, as well as being identified by Sheriff’s Office deputies.

The Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this incident and is currently seeking the identification of the male perpetrator.  If anyone has any information regarding this incident or knows the identity of the male perpetrator &/or the location of the suspect vehicle, please contact Henry County Central Communications @ (660) 885-5587 or your local law enforcement agency.