On July 1st, 2025 Judge Bacon confirmed Timothy Blackwell as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.  He then received his badge of office by Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy.

Judge Bacon confirming Timothy Blackwell as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.

Timothy Blackwell with his badge of office, next to Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy and Judge Bacon.

Welcome to the team, Timothy!

OZARK, MO — The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on June 4, 2025, the Honorable Laura Johnson sentenced Phillip L. Bilyeu to the Missouri Department of Corrections, following a plea of guilty as to one count and a jury trial as to three counts.

On March 19, 2025, the defendant entered a plea of guilty to the charge of Domestic Assault in the Third Degree.  The defendant was charged with punching Juvenile 1 in the stomach. The case proceeded to trial on the remaining three counts.  After three days of trial, March 24-26, 2025, the jury found the defendant guilty on all three counts of Child Molestation in the Second Degree. 

At the sentencing hearing, the judge sentenced the defendant to 4 years for the domestic assault, and 8 years for each of the counts of child molestation, with all sentences to run concurrently.

This case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.  Michael Younker and Chris Aiken prosecuted the case, along with Legal Assistant Mia Long and Victim Advocate Cathryn Ables.

OZARK, MO — The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on March 5, 2025, the Honorable Laura Johnson sentenced Ryan L. Johnson, 44, to 7 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, as a persistent felony offender.  The sentencing comes after a jury trial was held on January 13-14, 2025. The jury found the defendant guilty of Property Damage in the First Degree.

In the early morning hours of February 4, 2023, the defendant drove a motor vehicle to the victims’ residence.  He turned his vehicle around in the driveway, and forcefully backed the vehicle into an oversized garage door.  He pulled forward, moved in front of a second garage door, and again forcefully backed his vehicle into the garage door, causing more than $750 in damage to the doors.

The case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.  Michael Younker and Chris Aiken prosecuted the case, assisted by Victim Advocate Julie Harlan and Legal Assistant Brooke Miller.

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on April 29, 2025, after a three-day trial, a Christian County jury found Tonia L. Barnes guilty of Resisting Detention Creating a Substantial Risk of Death or Serious Physical Injury.  The jury also sentenced the defendant to two years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the crime.    

On October 5, 2022, an officer with the Nixa Police Department pulled the defendant’s vehicle for failing to maintain lane.  During the investigation officers feared that the defendant may be intoxicated so they asked the defendant to exit the vehicle.  The defendant refused to get out of the vehicle and instead led officers on a high-speed pursuit.  During the pursuit the defendant drove down the middle of the road, was continuously swerving and passing vehicles, and drove at high rates of speed.  The defendant continuously drove over 100 MPH on Highway 160 running multiple red lights and was clearly putting other motorists at risk.  Multiple Nixa officers assisted with the pursuit and the Nixa Police Department ultimately decided to terminate the pursuit, as the defendant entered Springfield, based upon the shear danger posed by the defendant’s reckless driving and the Nixa Police Department’s policies regarding high-speed pursuits.  

The jury deliberated for approximately three and a half hours before arriving at its guilty verdict.  The Jury also heard evidence regarding sentencing and deliberated for two hours before sentencing the defendant to two years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the crime.   

 The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jacob Benton Cantwell and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Tarek Masri.  Julie Harlan served as the Victim Advocate and Brijana Sullivan served as Legal Assistant.

Please congratulate Tarek Masri for being recognized as employee of the year for 2024! Tarek is recognized by his peers as somebody who is willing to help everybody, whether legal assistants, victim advocates, or assistant prosecutors. He is dependable, very prepared with his case load, consistently tries to do his best and become informed, interacts well with victims, has a good talking presence in court, and doesn’t ever say anything bad about anybody. APAs and defense attorneys both respect him, especially for being a newer APA. Great job & congrats Tarek!