Christian County Prosecuting Attorney, Amy J. Fite presented the 2012 Annual Report to members of the Christian County Commission on December 20, 2012. Missouri Law requires that an annual report be prepared and filed with the County Commission once a year.

To review the 2012 annual report presented to the Commission please click the link below:

2012 ANNUAL REPORT

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that on December 14, 2012 Patrick Noel; dob: 1/19/1984 formerly of Wheatland, Missouri was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Mark Orr to seven (7) consecutive seven (7) year sentences for a total of forty-nine (49) years in the Department of Corrections. On October 23, 2012, in front of the Honorable Judge Orr, Patrick Noel entered an Alford plea to two counts of statutory rape in the second degree that had been amended down from higher charges pursuant to a plea agreement as well as pleading guilty as charged to five counts of statutory rape in the second degree. This guilty plea was entered pursuant to a plea agreement that included two counts being amended to lesser charges and some counts being dismissed. There was no agreement to the term of sentence the defendant would serve but per the plea agreement the State of Missouri announced its intention to request the defendant serve the maximum on each count pled to and for the defendant to serve those counts consecutively for a term of forty-nine years.

At the time of the offenses, the defendant along with his wife and children were long-term house guests in the home of the family where the two victims lived. The two victims were 13 years old and 15 years old during the time frame they were victimized by the defendant.

The range of punishment for statutory rape in the second degree is one day to seven years incarceration and/or a fine up to $5,000. Currently, the defendant will have to serve a minimum of thirty-three percent (33%) of each sentence before being eligible for parole. Thus, the minimum term the defendant can serve before being eligible for parole is 16 years and two months. The defendant will be required to complete the Missouri Sex Offender Program before being eligible for parole. Once released on parole, the defendant will be on parole for the remainder of the forty-nine year sentence. The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender.

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OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that Colby L. Sanders, dob: 07/31/1970 of Ozark, Missouri was found guilty after a jury trial presided over by Judge Mark Orr that began on December 3, 2012 and ended on December 6, 2012. The jury found him guilty of two counts of child molestation in the first degree, two counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree, one count forcible rape and one count forcible sodomy.

The crimes occurred between August 2007 and November 30, 2008. One of the victims was between eight and nine when the crimes occurred. The other victims were thirteen and seventeen at the time the crimes were committed. The crimes occurred at the defendant’s residence in Ozark. The case had been pending since 2009.

Judge Orr ordered that the Missouri Department of Corrections prepare a sentencing assessment report. He set sentencing on March 22, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. The defendant’s bond was revoked and he was taken into custody after the jury returned the verdicts of guilty.

Child molestation in the first degree is a class B felony. It carries a punishment of five to fifteen years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Statutory sodomy in the first degree with child less than 12 years is punishable at not less than ten years or up to life in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Statutory sodomy in the first degree with child less than 14 years is punishable at not less than five years or up to life in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Forcible rape and forcible sodomy are punishable at not less than five years up to life in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

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The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that on November 30, 2012, GERALD LOVETT BLUFORD, DOB: 12/27/1959, formerly of Nixa, Missouri was found guilty by a Christian County jury of the class C felony of Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Honorable Judge John Waters presiding.

On November 29, 2012, with the Honorable Judge John Waters presiding the jury trial of State of Missouri v. GERALD LOVETT BLUFORD commenced. 1st Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Donovan Dobbs represented the State. The facts presented to the jury included defendant was arrested for an unrelated matter by the Nixa Police Department on November 20, 2007 and a search of the defendant incident to that arrest was conducted. Inside Bluford’s pants pocket the officer found a packaged chunky white substance that lab analysis confirmed to be 4.39 grams of cocaine base. The jury trial concluded on Friday, November 30, 2012 and after deliberations the jury returned a guilty verdict to the single count of Possession of a Controlled Substance.

BLUFORD was arrested on November 20, 2007 for the stabbing death of Eric Eidson and was previously found guilty by a Christian County jury on December 17, 2009 of Voluntary Manslaughter and Armed Criminal Action in connection with that stabbing death. BLUFORD is currently serving the sentence given by the Honorable Judge Mark Orr to serve fifteen (15) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the Voluntary Manslaughter and to serve ten (10) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the Armed Criminal Action, those sentences to run consecutively.

BLUFORD is scheduled to be sentenced before the Honorable Judge John Waters on January 16, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. The range of punishment for the class C felony of Possession of a Controlled Substance is 1 day to 1 year incarceration in the Christian County jail, 2 to 7 years incarceration in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine up to $5,000.

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