Found Deceased MO - Cassidy Rainwater, 33, *GRAPHIC CONTENT* nude & caged in photos, Buffalo, 15 Jul 2021 *Arrests*

[MountainGal33]

This case has potential to be much bigger. I hope every last detail is investigated to the fullest.

jmo

Couldn’t agree with you more.
We just have to wait now for more facts.

In my opinion it was not just one woman.

My gut tells me this has been going for years.

 

[hawkeyefan51]

By the FBI!! Not the Dallas County Sheriff's Dept. moo

This case has potential to be much bigger. I hope every last detail is investigated to the fullest.

jmo

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Couldn’t agree with you more.
We just have to wait now for more facts.

In my opinion it was not just one woman.

My gut tells me this has been going for years.

By the FBI!! Not the Dallas County Sheriff's Dept. moo

I agree - 100%

 

[Knox]

Does MO have a State Bureau of Criminal Investigations?

 

[Hansen]

The case is being handled by Dallas County Sheriff’s Office not the FBI. The part about the trip wires came from a local reporter who was on the scene. Law enforcement has not confirmed this information.

I’m not seeing trafficking, because traffickers don’t generally kill the merchandise they are selling. Phelps might be involved in selling sick, depraved pictures on the internet.

It wouldn't even be a stretch to think this could be trafficking. How many actually sell only depraved pics online and nothing else?

 

[elliefant]

Somebody at the beginning of the thread posted the page of RSOs that has one using this address - even while it was in JP’s ownership. He was registered years ago, so it seemed then that this had been going on for years. This is a nasty nasty one for sure.

 

[Jora]

Many women disappear in this region.......
Curious if there is any connection between all these women.



Sarah Burton is missing from Joplin, MO

Phelps County Sheriff’s Office searching for missing woman

 

[GramMomSisrFriend]

ANOTHER WS THREAD ABOUT LEBANON:

GUILTY - MO - Edward Bagley & others for keeping teen as sex slave for 8 years, Lebanon, 2009 (websleuths.com)

I hope they now investigate .further into this! They say "Birds of a feather flock together ! I thought they needed to push this more when it happened. Which they also failed many in Cassidy Rainwaters case in 2007. My opinion if that would have taking place, it might have saved a lot of pain, sorrow and questions for the victims, family, friend, community and our state, from happening.

 

[GramMomSisrFriend]

Couldn’t agree with you more.
We just have to wait now for more facts.

In my opinion it was not just one woman.

My gut tells me this has been going for years.

My heart tells me the same! I believe if they would have better investigate her mom's death, it could have prevented many crimes that are currently happening in our state. They need to listen to the community and stop ignoring and start eliminating the problem.

 

[GramMomSisrFriend]

Wasn't there an article about officers being pulled off the case or fired due to leaking information about it? Been so busy, it might have been another case. Going to search.

I have heard that as well with this case!

 

[GramMomSisrFriend]

100% agree. The crime scene not being secured is very suspicious and or sloppy. Before this small town sheriff gets in his feelings on a press release he needs to ask himself how did an entire house not get taped off and secured? You don't need to be privy to his intel to know there's no excuse for letting the crime scene burn down. If indeed this anonymous photo tip came from the dark web, why were these two guys posting it? Was this the only girl they posted photo of? Here's some interesting info about the trafficking problems in Missouri
Human Trafficking on I-44

Like to know who blundered that one! A Crime scene unmonitored and unattended! REALLY! Flags definitely pop up there

 

[GramMomSisrFriend]

Me, too...wonder what other charges? Aren't they waiting for DNA to be able to identify Cassidy? I'm not sure if what I read is reliable, didn't they find human remains? If so, then charges would be upgraded to murder?

All parties involved????? Do the people actually believe this, is what I'm wondering????

 

[Betty P]

Somebody at the beginning of the thread posted the page of RSOs that has one using this address - even while it was in JP’s ownership. He was registered years ago, so it seemed then that this had been going on for years. This is a nasty nasty one for sure.

Hopefully there's evidence of violating federal statutes, so we can rely on the local federal prosecutors to bring charges. That's how it was handled in the previous case, in 2013. It's a shame that didn't put a stop to the human trafficking there. It should have. It's all local, not a lot of people living in that area.

 

[GramMomSisrFriend]

Someone is helping those 2 demons destroy evidence. I hope they get thrown in jail/prison along with them.

Exactly! Who is being held responsible for not securing the crime seen? Unmonitored and unattended, Makes one wonder?????????? Lack of respect for victims and their families in my opinion.

 

[TwinkieDefense]

From a different source:

Report: Fire investigators find 2 incidenary devices at Dallas County home at the center of Rainwater investigation

DALLAS COUNTY, Mo.- According to an incident report from the Springfield Fire Department, two incidenary devices were found at the scene of a house fire in Dallas County that is part of the Cassidy Rainwater investigation.

Cassidy Rainwater: Everything we know about her disappearance, the suspects, and the house fire
According to the report obtained by OzarksFirst, when officers got to the scene, they found the two incidenary devices made with mortar tubes, balloons, and coiled fuzes with a tripwire attached.

Read full report here.Click to view report.
The home where James Phelps was staying burned down the night of October 4, the night before Phelps and Timothy Norton were supposed to appear in court.

Initial reports stated only one explosive device was discovered by a Dallas County deputy; that’s when the Springfield bomb squad was called in and found two.

Phelps and Norton were arrested in September and charged with the kidnapping of Cassidy Rainwater. Rainwater was last seen in July and was reported missing in late August.

Missouri men accused of keeping missing woman locked in cage, court records say
Court documents accuse Phelps and Norton of holding Cassidy Rainwater in a cage on Moon Valley Road near Windyville, Missouri. Earlier on October 4, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on Facebook stating that the FBI has recovered several items that will be used to further the investigation.

Phelps and Norton appeared in court as scheduled on October 5, where a judge set preliminary hearings for both men at 9:30 a.m. on November 5. Both Phelps and Norton appeared via a video conference call from the Dallas County Jail.

 

[Betty P]

Very latest update appears at the very bottom of this post.
THE LATEST: What we know about the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater and the Dallas County, Mo. investigation

DALLAS COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) - The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is leading a months-long investigation into the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater, an investigation that has taken multiple turns since September.

Investigators say, Cassidy Rainwater, a 33-year old woman with ties to Dallas, Greene, and Laclede Counties, disappeared on July 25. She wasn’t reported missing to authorities until nearly a month later.

The case has led to multiple arrests, court proceedings, and new developments in recent weeks. Two suspects, James Phelps and Timothy Norton have been arrested and charged for the kidnapping of Rainwater. Both appeared in Dallas County court Tuesday.

One night earlier, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office says a home near Lebanon, Missouri, connected to Phelps was burned to the ground. The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating after the fire caused a total loss to the home, while the Springfield Fire Department Bomb Squad responded after the discovery of a tripwire.

Seems they should be able to get a federal charge from that.

For some reason, judges and prosecutors in this neck of the woods run scared from defense attorneys. There's a notorious defense attorney in Springfield named Dee Wampler who has successfully defended a quite a few killers. He's taught other defense attorneys a few of his tricks. Regardless, local prosecutors and judges should put the victims first and foremost and stop worrying about negative publicity. JMO


These latest developments unfold following an active September in the investigation. Around the middle of the month, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation contacted detectives in Dallas County, saying they received photos from an anonymous person showing Rainwater in a cage.

Investigators say a detective recognized Rainwater in a partially nude state from a photo, and officials later discovered seven photos of Rainwater after searching Phelps’ phone. According to detectives, Rainwater had been staying with Phelps while she got on her feet. Phelps told authorities Rainwater had left in the middle of the night at the end of July and he had not seen her since then.

More than two months have passed since the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater, and community members around the Ozarks are searching for answers on her condition and what happened.

Here is the most recent timeline of events in Rainwater’s disappearance and confirmed information in the investigation:



July 25, 2021

This was the last day anyone, family members or else wise, reported seeing Cassidy Rainwater. Per court records, James Phelps told police the last time he saw Cassidy was on this day. He told authorities she left in the middle of the night and never came back.

According to additional court documents, KY3 learned that Timothy Norton was called to the house by James Phelps one day earlier for help in restraining Cassidy Rainwater.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Court documents reveal missing Dallas County woman was staying with James Phelps prior to his arrest
August 25, 2021



A family member contacted the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office saying they had not heard from or seen from Cassidy since an unspecified timeframe. That is when the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office opened the investigation into her disappearance.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas County Sheriff’s Office asks for help locating woman reported missing
September 16, 2021

The FBI contacted Dallas County Sheriff’s department saying they had received an anonymous tip that Cassidy Rainwater was caged up on Phelps’ property.

When police followed up on this tip, they found seven photos on Phelps’ phone that led to his arrest. Phelps was arrested and taken to the Dallas County Jail where he still remains.



PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas County authorities arrest man in missing woman case
September 19, 2021

Police interviewed Timothy Norton. He said he lived in his car because he was an overload trucker. The address listed for him on online court systems and court documents showed the same address as James Phelps’ home on Moon Valley Road. Police found some inaccuracies in his story.

September 20, 2021

Police brought back Norton to interview him again. Per court records, that is when he admitted to authorities restraining Cassidy Rainwater back in July. One day later, Timothy Norton was booked into the Dallas County Jail without bond.



PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas County deputies arrest second man connected to the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater
September 21, 2021

A woman who knows Rainwater and of the suspects speaks with KY3 on the condition of anonymity. She said she can’t wrap her head around all of this.

“I’ve been incredibly unsettled since the whole Menagerie started,” she said. “I’m continuing to pray for her family. I can’t fathom what her family is experiencing and I’m heartily sorry that that happened so close to my home,”

The woman recalls Rainwater as being friendly.



“She would stop by she would talk to us when we were outside working. I don’t think Cassidy would have ever run off without keeping contact with her family,” she said.

September 23, 2021

Deputies searched around some properties in rural Dallas County, including a home on Moon Valley Road, for evidence in the investigation. After several hours, deputies departed from the scene.

October 1, 2021



Investigators confirm they are waiting for DNA evidence to return in the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater. Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice says it could be at least 30 days before any results are returned.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas County sheriff says he’s waiting on DNA evidence in case of Cassidy Rainwater’s disappearance
October 4, 2021

A home near Lebanon, Missouri, connected to Phelps was burned to the ground. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office says Phelps, 58, had been renting the home.

A Dallas County deputy had alerted a firefighter after discovering a trip wire near the home, and the call went out to bring in the Springfield Bomb Squad. Hours later, the bomb squad detonated the suspicious device.



Rachel Nicholson, who moved to Lebanon recently, says she saw the home go up in flames from a distance.

“All a sudden the house collapsed and the flames got bigger and we could feel the heat,” said Nicholson. “Everything was on fire and we sat there and watched it collapse I called 911 because I was worried about it catching the woods on fire and like going to the other houses.”

The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating after the fire caused a total loss to the home.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: House of Dallas County, Mo. man accused of kidnapping Cassidy Rainwater burns to the ground
October 5, 2021



Phelps and Norton appeared before a Dallas County judge via a webcam, both represented by different public defenders. During the hearing, prosecutors asked for 45 days until the preliminary hearing due to the number of witnesses needed.

The state asked for 45 days, but the defense objected based on state Supreme Court requirement that allows for only a 30-day period. Dallas County Prosecutor Jonathan Barker said that if he still isn’t ready to proceed after 30 days that he’d file a motion for more time. A judge set a preliminary hearing for Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, investigators returned to the scene of the fire during daylight hours to analyze the area. Authorities are trying to figure out how the fire started and if there could be more tripwires than one spotted near the home Monday.

We spoke to a woman who lives near the home. She asked us to conceal her identity for her protection.



“If these people have committed such horrible crimes as they are accused I hope the legal system prosecutes them to the fullest extent,” said the woman. “I am very upset by it.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Two accused of kidnapping Cassidy Rainwater appear in Dallas County court
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Neighbor speaks on fire and Dallas Co. investigation of Cassidy Rainwater
October 7, 2021

Our team of reporters has been in constant contact with Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice. However, no further details are being released pending forensic results.

In a Facebook post, Sheriff Rice addressed rumors in the investigation into the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater. He wrote that he’s upset with social media and bloggers thinking they know what is happening and says “there is a lot of misinformation” circulating in the case.



PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas County sheriff addresses rumors in disappearance case of Cassidy Rainwater
October 12, 2021

In a Springfield Bomb Squad report, investigators say they found an incendiary device during a fire at the home at the center of a kidnapping case in Dallas County.

The home on Moon Valley Road between Lebanon and Buffalo caught fire on the evening of October 4. In the report, it claims investigators found the explosive device in a mortar tube with a balloon cover. It featured tripwires. The Springfield Bomb Squad removed the device. No firefighter was injured in battling the fire.

My post just disappeared for some reason, but it was mainly about the explosive device possibly being an avenue to bring some serious charges. They need to get ATF and the Feds involved.

ETA: Local and state officials need to avoid worrying about negative news coverage. Justice and cleaning up this mess is more important. Too much has been swept under the rug. JMO

 

[Prdgnonr]

If I was to guess, the trip wires and explosives were only there so that the fire department would have to wait an hour or more for the bomb squad, making sure the house had plenty of time to burn. And it was completely u secure. We drove by it earlier that day it burned down and ran into a few other vehicles out "sight seeing". You could walk right up to it if you wanted to. Besides the purple no tresspassing tape on the tree, there was nothing to keep people out.

 

[?!?]

If I was to guess, the trip wires and explosives were only there so that the fire department would have to wait an hour or more for the bomb squad, making sure the house had plenty of time to burn. And it was completely u secure. We drove by it earlier that day it burned down and ran into a few other vehicles out "sight seeing". You could walk right up to it if you wanted to. Besides the purple no tresspassing tape on the tree, there was nothing to keep people out.

Hopefully, LE would have already gotten everything of evidentiary value out of there ('cleared' the scene).

 

[swedeheart]

https://www.kansascity.com/news/loc...LNpoW9iIYlqLzlwUAFaNmwBflAdEIyhfHnlwtBc_G3ARo

It could be several weeks before more information is released in the case of Cassidy Rainwater, the Missouri woman who was allegedly kidnapped in the Ozarks and held in a cage.

Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice told The Star Wednesday afternoon that he was told that it could be 30 to 90 days before forensic tests come back.

“We’re waiting for lab results to pursue possible other charges,” said Rice, whose department is leading the investigation.

 

[swedeheart]

New drone video shows Dallas County property where Cassidy Rainwater was kept in a cage

"OzarksFirst also learned Wednesday various court documents provide more details about the history of the property on Moon Valley Road. Court documents say James Phelps listed the property as his home address as early as 2011. Timothy Norton listed the property as his address in 1992 and 1993.

However, court documents say Norton lived in Wright City in 2020. A man claiming he owns the property the cabin sits on also listed his mailing address as being on Moon Valley in 1997."



Reported by Bailey Strohl on her FB:

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