Please congratulate Alexis Simmons for being recognized as employee of the month of November! Her co-workers mentioned that Alexis acts with grace, is easy to get along with, is willing to help others and complete tasks, and is a team player. Congrats Alexis!

On November 13th, 2023 Judge Johnson confirmed Investigator Justin Wishin as a new Investigator for our Prosecutor’s Office.

Judge Johnson affirming Justin Wishin as an Investigator for our Prosecutor’s Office.

Justin with our elected prosecutor, Kristen Tuohy.

The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Nixa Police Department, Missouri Children’s Division, and the Springfield Child Advocacy Center will conduct its second annual “Crime Scene to Trial” training in Ozark, Missouri, next week. From November 14-16, 2023, the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, along with other multidisciplinary (MDT) members who routinely investigate child abuse and neglect reports will be training participants from several counties on how best to investigate these complex crimes.

In Missouri, every county has a local MDT, and the members are responsible for the investigation and prosecution of cases of child abuse and neglect in their community. The MDT includes the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Springfield Child Advocacy Center, Missouri Children’s Division, law enforcement, medical professionals, the Juvenile Office, and victim advocates.

In February 2022, members of the Christian County MDT were selected from applications from across Missouri to participate in a three-day training program by the Zero Abuse Project called “Train the Trainer: Crime Scene to Trial.” Christian County became the first county in Missouri to become certified to hold this nationally recognized training.  “Crime Scene to Trial” specifically trains MDTs on how to complete a case, beginning with a crime scene investigation and ending with the filing of criminal charges.

Last year, the Christian County Prosecutor’s Office conducted this training partially online via Zoom and PowerPoint slides. This year, the Christian County Prosecutor’s Office will use a portion of grant funds awarded though the the Department of Social Services and State Technical Assistance Team for training in the are of child sexual abuse investigations to host the simulated training. This year’s training includes assistance from local law enforcement to secure the mock house and allow participants to complete an actual search of the mock house. The mock house appears as if a crime occurred. The hands-on training will enable professionals to recognize, react, and respond appropriately to identify child maltreatment.

When real-life child abuse happens, officers will often be involved and make a hotline call to Missouri’s Child Abuse & Neglect hotline. Participants are encouraged to become actively involved in the child abuse and neglect investigation from the beginning. This training allows each member of the MDT to be involved from the beginning of the investigation. Participants are also encouraged to communicate freely between local agencies to make the best decisions for the investigation and, more importantly, the safety of any children involved.

A typical training with this program will give the participants a fact pattern, including a simulated 911 call. In this training, the participants can interact with MDT members and local actors posing as suspects and witnesses. This training also includes the assistance of local makeup artists to assist in creating realistic injuries and wounds for the actors.

Throughout the training, participants will be able to interview actors posing as suspects, witnesses, and child victims (MDT members). The training will include simulated reports from law enforcement, Missouri Children’s Division, and medical professionals. The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has also sought the participation of other necessary people in child abuse investigations like forensic interviewers (who are specifically trained to speak with children), judges, doctors, etc.

This training provides valuable information on best practices for members of the participating MDTs to better investigate and prosecute cases of child abuse and neglect in their area. 

If you suspect child abuse or neglect, please call the Missouri Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline at 1-800-392-3738.