On May 30th, 2024 Judge Johnson confirmed Robert Asperger as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.  He then received his badge of office by Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy.

Judge Johnson confirming Robert Asperger as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.

Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy giving Robert Asperger his badge of office.

Welcome to the team, Robert!

The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Nixa Police Department, Missouri Children’s Division, and the Springfield Child Advocacy Center is conducting its third “Crime Scene to Trial” training in Ozark, Missouri. From May 14-16, 2024, 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.

The Christian County Prosecutor’s Office will use a portion of grant funds awarded though the Department of Social Services and State Technical Assistance Team for training in the area of child sexual abuse investigations to host the simulated training. This year’s training includes a mock house to allow participants to complete an actual search of the mock crime scene. 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.

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), medical providers, 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. 

Many child sexual abuse cases are never reported to law enforcement. If you suspect a child needs help, make a report. The Children Division’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-392-3738.

Please congratulate Justin Wishin for being recognized as employee of the month of March! Justin is known as being a great investigator who follows up on assignments quickly, gives regular updates, and helps ensure the right person is the one being charged with a crime. He also recently gave a helpful presentation to help our prosecutors better understand the technology used in court. Congrats Justin!

Please congratulate Cathryn Ables for being recognized as employee of the month of February! Quiet behind scenes, Cathryn is described by co-workers as knowledgeable with cases. outspoken for the victims she serves, and does an exceptional job with the difficult caseload for child abuse and sexual crimes. Congrats Cathryn!

Please congratulate Suzanne Frakes for being recognized as employee of the year for 2023! A frequent nominee, she does an outstanding job with her case load, is a dedicated worker, answers questions, is great at talking with people, and gets along great with her teammates. Congrats Suzanne!