OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that Adrian Shaw, age 56, of St. Louis, Missouri, was found guilty of statutory sodomy first degree.  A jury trial commenced on Monday, August 14, 2017 in the City of St. Louis with the Honorable Judge Jimmie Edwards presiding.  The jury rendered its guilty verdict on Thursday, August 17, 2017, finding the defendant guilty of statutory sodomy in the first degree of a child less than 12.  The facts presented included that on or between June 2 and June 3, 2015, the defendant had deviate sexual intercourse with a three-year-old little girl.  The defendant was the boyfriend of the child’s grandmother.  The court prior to commencement of the jury trial found the defendant to be a prior and persistent felony offender.  The Honorable Jimmie Edwards will sentence Shaw on October 6, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. in Division 19 of the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis.

The case was prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Amy Fite and First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kristen M. Tuohy serving as special prosecutors.  The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney was appointed January 31, 2017 by the Honorable Michael Stelzer of the 22^nd Judicial Circuit to serve as a special prosecutor for this matter.  The City of St. Louis Police Department’s Child Abuse Unit Detective Julie Johnson was the primary investigator of this crime.

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The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has opening for a full-time Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.  This position will begin immediately.  Responsibilities will include managing a caseload.  The Assistant Prosecutor will regularly appear in court, conduct motion hearings, bench trials and jury trials.  The preferred candidate will have prosecution experience or experience as an intern in a prosecutor’s office, and working knowledge of PROSECUTORbyKarpel.  The compensation will include salary and benefits.  The starting salary is $52,000.

The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is a file-less office.  The office includes six assistant prosecuting attorneys, one investigator, two victim advocates and six legal assistants.

Resumes will be accepted until position is filled.

If interested please forward a cover letter and resume by mail or e-mail to:

Amy Fite

Prosecuting Attorney

110 W. Elm, Room 109

Ozark, MO  65721

e-mail:  Amy.Fite@prosecutors.mo.gov

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that Nathan Calistro Falig Jr. was found guilty of rape in the first degree, two counts of sodomy in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, kidnapping, and two counts of tampering with physical evidence. Falig was found not guilty of armed criminal action. The Honorable Judge Jennifer Growcock reached her verdict after hearing evidence about the September 2015 offenses over the course of a two-day bench trial held on July 25-26, 2017. The verdict was announced in open court on August 3, 2017.  Falig is set for sentencing before the Honorable Jennifer Growcock on October 3, 2017, at 10:00 AM.

The case was prosecuted by First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kristen M. Tuohy.  The Ozark Police Department investigated the crime.

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On July 6, 2017, Jessica Goodwin, age 30, was sentenced for five separate felony cases by the Honorable Laura Johnson, Presiding Circuit Judge for Christian County.  She was convicted on five class C felonies for identity theft, four class C felonies for forgery, one Class C felony for property damage in the first degree, one class C felony for receiving stolen property, and one class C felony for possession of controlled substance.  She received the maximum sentence of seven (7) years sentence on each count in the Department of Corrections with some sentences run consecutively and other concurrently for a total sentence of fourteen (14) years in the Department of Corrections. The Court entered restitution judgments to the victims.  The defendant was sentenced to the long-term substance abuse program under Section 217.362 RSMo. There were five separate victims of the defendant.

Goodwin was involved with other co-defendants in crimes from November 18, 2016 through December 14, 2016.   The defendants broke into motor vehicles at daycares in Ozark and Nixa.  This occurred as parents were dropping off or picking up their children.    The defendants stole purses and wallets.  The defendants then immediately attempted to use credit cards from the purses and wallets at various retail stores with the victims’ identity.  The defendants broke into both locked and unlocked vehicles.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Christian County Prosecuting Attorney John L. Young.  These crimes were investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, the Ozark Police Department, and the Nixa Police Department.

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Michael Burgess, age 40 from Springfield, Mo, was found guilty of the Class D felony for unlawful use of a weapon following a day and half bench trial heard by the Honorable Laura Johnson, Presiding Circuit Judge for Christian County, Missouri.    A sentence assessment report has been ordered with sentencing set for June 8, 2017.

According the testimony, the defendant drew his firearm and pointed at his ex-wife and her family on his ex-wife’s property.  The defendant threatened to blow their heads off.  The defendant and victims were outside the front door and porch of the ex-wife’s residence.

The case was prosecuted by John L. Young, Senior Assistant Christian County Prosecuting Attorney.  The case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff Office with assistance from the Ozark Police Department.

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