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.