Seems to be complete lack of curiosity by local LE -- see their role as telling the public "nothing to see here" unless somebody hands them the evidence, and even AFTER that! Maybe the sheriff is at communication school learning to keep egg off his face (remember those 'crap' rumors that got him so upset?).
Found Deceased MO - Cassidy Rainwater, 33, *GRAPHIC CONTENT* nude & caged in photos, Buffalo, 15 Jul 2021 *Arrests*
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Seems to be complete lack of curiosity by local LE -- see their role as telling the public "nothing to see here" unless somebody hands them the evidence, and even AFTER that! Maybe the sheriff is at communication school learning to keep egg off his face (remember those 'crap' rumors that got him so upset?).
MountainGal33
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I agree.
I mean the only leverage they have is the death penalty - to get JP to talk (imo). But the persecution said: "Prosecuting Attorney Barker also said his office isn’t seeking the death penalty in this case right now, but they are still weighing all options."
How could they not? (I know capital punishment is a sensitive topic - so, jmo)
Even if they are first time killers - the brutality alone....
So frustrating...
Look forward to reading up on his day in court this Friday (James Phelps).
I don't think that it has anything to do with Websleuth's owners. Isn't it an EU ruling?
GDPR: US news sites unavailable to EU users under new rules
One possibility might be the high cost of prosecuting 2 perps for death penalty offenses. Dallas County is a small, somewhat rural county. There are a lot of extra expenses involved in prosecuting BP cases, not the least of which is appointing DP qualified defense attorneys, usually at taxpayer expense.
Pike County, Ohio recently went through this with the 4 Wagner family members who killed 8 members of the Rhoden family. The cost of doing pretrial, trial, etc. expenses for 4 people was estimated to be well over a million dollars. The Ohio governor and General Assembly had to put funding into the state budget to help the county cover some of the costs.
Just guessing. Maybe prosecuting attorney Barker is also balking at those costs. At some point, the state AG's office should get involved, as these are state crimes. Missouri's AG, Eric Schmitt, needs to be involved and offering assistance to local prosecutors, especially in a high profile case like this. JMO
Right now Missouri's AG seems more interested in other matters, like mask mandates. It doesn't appear he has any experience in the criminal justice system, law enforcement or even court room experience. Let's hope he's on a learning curve and will show some leadership on this.
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MountainGal33
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Good guess and I would agree. I did not think about the cost.
I looked up Eric Schmitt and he did bring a few lawsuits against some local massage parlors promoting undercover prostitution in April of this year so it's on his radar so to speak.
Missouri AG files civil lawsuits against four illicit massage businesses – FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports
But yes his twitter is all about mask and vaccine mandates.
Yes, maybe the AG needs to step up. This is a serious crime, possibly with multiple victims. It's been getting news coverage nationally and overseas. I expected to see something from his office the week the story first broke, whether an interview or press release or something. But he hasn't made a single comment about the investigation, the crime, etc. Nothing.
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No, agreed. It hasn't have anything to do with WS. It's about new privacy policies in Europe. Websites outside Europe have to reach some standards related to that. If they don't we from Europe are having no access. Never thought my post would be picked up as if I criticized WS ownwers, but I see it now....website owners...oops...I meant the website owners of the links I can't reach.
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Becky Starkey
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Let's hope you are not holding your breath.
Becky Starkey
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So are his lawsuits.
MountainGal33
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I will be looking up local news media this Friday for JP’s first day in court (hope they don’t postpone it) and l hope we get more answers. I am not sure if this is still pre-trial appearance stuff or not…
WhereisChandra?1
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Yeah I’m wondering the same thing….How long has it been since they were arrested? And nobody’s on that land doing anything??
Well today is the day Phelps goes to court. Seems like every time he's in court, the Dallas Co Sheriff has to release more info on the case...usually info that he has denied over and over again. So hopefully we find out more info on the case today.
A judge has scheduled a preliminary for Feb. 4, 2022 in the case of James Phelps, one of two men charged in the murder of Dallas County woman Cassidy Rainwater.
Phelps and his co-defendant Timothy Norton face first-degree murder charges after authorities recovered the human remains of Rainwater. They also face kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse.
Friday marked a brief, virtual court appearance for James Phelps. Judge John C. Porter did set Phelps’ preliminary hearing for the same week as Timothy Norton, whose preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2. Norton will also appear in court for a motions hearing on Dec. 21 after he pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.
Hearing Dates
Timothy Norton
Motions Hearing - Dec. 21, 2021
Preliminary Hearing - Feb. 2, 2022
James Phelps
Preliminary Hearing - Feb. 4, 2022
Phelps and his co-defendant Timothy Norton face first-degree murder charges after authorities recovered the human remains of Rainwater. They also face kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse.
Friday marked a brief, virtual court appearance for James Phelps. Judge John C. Porter did set Phelps’ preliminary hearing for the same week as Timothy Norton, whose preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2. Norton will also appear in court for a motions hearing on Dec. 21 after he pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.
Hearing Dates
Timothy Norton
Motions Hearing - Dec. 21, 2021
Preliminary Hearing - Feb. 2, 2022
James Phelps
Preliminary Hearing - Feb. 4, 2022
Bit of hope
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Don't understand why his hearing is rescheduled again. My hope is that, it's for a reason and in the meantime, LE is gathering more evidence about possible more victims.
Wondering how many preliminary hearings, current hearings, post hearings, postments and weather delays it will take to get to that speedy trial that's in store....and how many years.
"It will be next year before a Dallas County judge decides if there’s enough evidence to put two men on trial for murder and kidnapping in the death of Cassidy Rainwater."
I'm thinking Dallas Co screwed up this investigation and knows it.
Hearings Set For February In Cassidy Rainwater Murder Case
I'm thinking Dallas Co screwed up this investigation and knows it.
Hearings Set For February In Cassidy Rainwater Murder Case
JMO, its possible there's a lot of evidence still being tested. They were searching the property for quite a while. It's also likely the investigation includes searches of electronic devices, computers, etc. for use in crimes online.
Dallas County, like a lot of smaller counties, doesn't have the resources for that, so they're probably relying on the state and federal government to do the work. Sometimes, they even use outside contractors for special analysis of evidence.
Overall, it probably means the prosecution is making sure they have an airtight case against these two. Has anyone heard or read of the state attorney general helping out? Usually they do provide extra help in these kinds of cases.
ETA: I wonder if there will be federal charges brought as happened in 2013 with the previous sex trafficking case in Lebanon?
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It's also possible that Phelps and Norton are cooperating with authorities, naming names, etc. It may be taking a while for LE to investigate and verify that information.
IANAL, but is it common to negotiate a plea agreement this early in the process?
Hearings Set For February In Cassidy Rainwater Murder Case
IIRC, Norton had acquired his own attorney the first time. That's the attorney who withdrew from the case. The news article mentions the new attorney was appointed, so I assume that means the state is now providing his legal representation, as they are with Phelps. Seems likely its a death penalty case.
IANAL, but is it common to negotiate a plea agreement this early in the process?
Hearings Set For February In Cassidy Rainwater Murder Case
IIRC, Norton had acquired his own attorney the first time. That's the attorney who withdrew from the case. The news article mentions the new attorney was appointed, so I assume that means the state is now providing his legal representation, as they are with Phelps. Seems likely its a death penalty case.
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