FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John M. Peacock
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
(417) 581-7915
DATE:  May 29, 2019

RE:  CHRISTIAN COUNTY JURY FINDS BARRY GEORGE GUILTY OF DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED AND TRESPASS IN THE FIRST DEGREE

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that BARRY GEORGE DOB:5/25/1964, of Sparta, Missouri was found guilty after a two-day jury trial held April 29-30, 2019. The jury trial was commenced before the Honorable Judge Laura Johnson.

The Christian County jury found the defendant guilty of both counts, driving while intoxicated and trespass in the first degree.  The jury deliberated for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes before finding the defendant guilty.  Formal sentencing is scheduled before the Honorable Judge Laura Johnson on June 25, 2019.

The defendant had two prior convictions for driving while intoxicated. These prior convictions for DWI make the defendant’s current conviction a persistent DWI offense. Driving While Intoxicated as a persistent offender is a class E felony. The range of punishment for an E felony is either a special term of incarceration in the Christian County Jail not to exceed one year or a term of incarceration in the Mo Dept of Corrections not to exceed four years and/or a fine not to exceed $10,000 dollars.  The range of punishment for trespass in the first degree of a class B misdemeanor is a term of incarceration in the Mo. Dept. of Corrections not to exceed six months and/or a fine not to exceed $1,000.

The investigation of this case was handled by Christian County Sheriff’s Department Deputies Lachlan Hicks and John Wilkerson. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Peacock assisted by First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Janette Bleau.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Anna L. Bunch, Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney  
                 417-581-7915
DATE:      May 3, 2019

RE:            CLAYTON LANDRIGAN SENTENCED AND REVOKED

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on May 2, 2019, Clayton J. Landrigan, dob: 02/14/1993, was sentenced on a pending drug case and admitted to violating his probation on another drug case in front of the Honorable Judge Laura Johnson. 

Landrigan pleaded without a plea agreement to possession with intent to distribute on February 7, 2019, for an event that occurred on June 21, 2015.  Landrigan was found by officers with over 10 grams of methamphetamine in separate individual baggies.  Texts on the defendant’s phone indicated he was distributing methamphetamine. 

After reviewing a Sentencing Assessment Report and hearing arguments from the State and defense counsel, the Court sentenced Landrigan to fifteen (15) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.  Defense counsel argued for probation and Drug Court.  The State pointed out his prior convictions and multiple violations while on probation.

The defendant received the maximum sentence for the class B felony charge.  The range of punishment was five (5) to fifteen (15) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Landrigan also admitted to violating the terms of his probation on a prior case, and his previous sentences of five (5) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections were executed.  On his prior case, Landrigan had pleaded guilty to forgery and possession of a controlled substance. 

The sentencing and probation violation were handled by Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Anna Bunch. The cases were investigated by the Ozark Police Department.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     

Contact: Anna L. Bunch                                                                                                                   Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney                                                                           (417) 581-7915

 Date: September 27, 2018

 RE: CHRISTIAN COUNTY JURY FINDS STEVEN MCMULLEN GUILTY                                OF MANUFACTURING MORE THAN 35 GRAMS OF MARIJUANA                                AND UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that Steven McMullen DOB: March 1, 1960, of Nixa, Missouri was found guilty after a two-day jury trial held September 24-25, 2018. The jury trial commenced before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Growcock.

The Christian County jury found the defendant guilty of both counts: manufacturing more than 35 grams of marijuana and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.  The jury deliberated for approximately one and a half hours before finding the defendant guilty.  Formal sentencing was scheduled before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Growcock on November 28, 2018.

The range of punishment for manufacturing more than 35 grams of marijuana is normally 3 to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine up to $10,000. However, the defendant is a prior drug offender and is therefore facing an increased range of punishment. The increased range of punishment is 5 to 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.  The range of punishment for the unlawful use of drug paraphernalia is 1 day to 1 year in the Christian County Jail and/or a fine up to $2,000.

The investigation of this case was handled by Nixa Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Anna Bunch.

A copy of this press release may be found here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Fite                                                                                                                              Prosecuting Attorney                                                                                                        (417) 581-7915

DATE: September 27, 2018

RE: CHRISTIAN COUNTY JURY FINDS MICHAEL D. BURGE GUILTY OF STATUTORY SODOMY 1^st DEGREE OF A CHILD LESS THAN 12 AND CHILD MOLESTATION 1^st Degree

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices announces that MICHAEL D. BURGE DOB: 12/16/1959 formerly of Ballwin, Missouri was found guilty on September 19, 2018 by a Christian County jury of statutory sodomy 1^st degree of a child less than 12 and child molestation 1^st degree.  A jury trial commenced before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Growcock on June 17, 2018 and concluded on June 19, 2018.

The jury retired to deliberate at approximately 6:44 p.m. and shortly before 10:00 p.m. returned a guilty verdict on each count.  Formal sentencing will be scheduled before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Growcock.

The range of punishment for statutory sodomy first degree of a child less than 12 is a term not less than ten years in the Missouri Department of Corrections or a life sentence.  The range of punishment for the child molestation in the first degree – class B felony is a term of 5 to 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.  In this case, the defendant was alleged, and found to be, a predatory sexual offender, and therefore is subject to an enhanced range of punishment for count I and II.  The enhanced sentence for each count is a life sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections with eligibility for parole.  Per statute, the court shall set the term of years the person must serve prior to becoming eligible for parole.  Per statute, the term of years shall be any numbers of years to which the person could have been sentenced if the person was not found to be a predatory sexual offender.  In no event will a person found to be a predatory sexual offender receive final discharge from parole.

The investigation of this case was handled by Christian County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant Kristen Tuohy.  Other members of the Prosecuting Attorney’s office assigned to this case include:  Shannon Stephens, Victim Advocate; Suzanne Frakes, Legal Assistant; Amy Zacek-Smith, Investigator.

A copy of this press release may be found here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Fite, Prosecuting Attorney                                                                                     (417) 581-7915

DATE: September 13, 2018

RE: DOYLE HITCHCOCK SENTENCED TO SEVEN CONSECUTIVE LIFE SENTENCES PLUS SEVEN YEARS FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT BY CHRISTIAN COUNTY JURY.

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that DOYLE  E HITCHCOCK dob: 06/28/1963 formerly of Ozark, Missouri was formally sentenced by the Honorable Jennifer Growcock on September 12, 2018. After denying defendant’s motion for a new trial, Judge Growcock sentenced the defendant to the maximum sentence of a life sentence on each of the convictions for forcible rape and forcible sodomy totaling seven life sentences.  The Court ran these seven life sentences consecutive to one another.  The Court further sentenced the defendant to the maximum term of seven years on all six of the endangering the welfare of a child counts, running these counts concurrent to one another and consecutive to the life sentences.  Thus, the defendant was sentenced to a total sentence of seven consecutive life sentences plus seven years.

Hitchcock was found guilty on June 7, 2018 by a Christian County jury of five counts of forcible sodomy and two counts of forcible rape and five counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree.  A jury trial commenced before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Growcock on June 4, 2018 and concluded with a guilty verdict on June 7, 2018.

The range of punishment forcible sodomy and forcible rape is a term not less than five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections or a life sentence.  The range of punishment for the endangering the welfare of a child is a term of incarceration up to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine up to $5,000.

The investigation of this case was handled by Christian County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy.  The staff assisting this case included:  Victim Advocate Shannon Stephens, Legal Assistant Suzanne Frakes, and Investigator Amy Zacek-Smith.

A copy of this press release may be found here.