FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: PROSECUTING ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

                        Anna l. Bunch, FIRST Assistant Prosecuting Attorney

                        417-581-7915

DATE: 12/19/2024

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on December 17, 2024, Dennis G. Lilly, dob: 2/24/1964, was sentenced to the MO Department of Corrections for committing domestic assault. 

The Court sentenced Lilly to five (5) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections under 559.115 (120 days in the Department of Corrections).  If/when Lilly is released from the Department of Corrections after serving 120 days, he will be ordered to be supervised by probation and parole as a domestic violence offender for 5 years of supervised probation.

Lilly had been found guilty by the Honorable Judge Jessica Kruse in October 2024 after a bifurcated bench trial of the class D felony of second-degree domestic assault.  Lilly was found guilty of knowingly causing physical injury to the victim by headbutting the victim and breaking the victim’s nose. The charged incident occurred on December 30, 2022. 

The range of punishment for a class D felony is one day up to seven (7) years incarceration and/or a fine not to exceed $10,0000. 

The case was prosecuted by First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Anna Bunch. The case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Department.

Please congratulate Chris Aiken for being recognized as employee of the month of December! Chris is recognized by his peers as somebody who is always friendly, fun to work with, easy to talk to, a hard worker, a great mentor, and does an overall great job. Congrats Chris!

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on November 20^th, 2024, Austin J. Williams appeared for sentencing before the Honorable Laura J. Johnson. On August 7^th, 2024, after a bench trial held on June 14^th, 2024, Judge Johnson found Williams guilty of assault in the first degree of a special victim and endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. Williams was found not guilty on a separate charge of resisting arrest. Judge Johnson sentenced Williams to ten (10) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for assault in the first degree of a special victim and seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. Judge Johnson ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

Williams was sentenced for his actions on May 19^th, 2021, when the victim, a law enforcement officer, was dispatched to Williams’s residence to assist Children’s Division with an investigation of the family’s living conditions. Williams and his girlfriend, combative for most of the encounter, eventually agreed to allow other family members to take custody of their minor child after officers noted living conditions that included trash piled up around the house and the smell of what officers described as decomposing meat.

Upon arrival at the residence where the parties agreed the minor child could stay while Williams and his girlfriend cleaned up their house, Williams again became combative. The victim asked Williams to step outside into the garage to cool off, and Williams went outside. Inside, Williams’s girlfriend became argumentative and left officers no choice but to decide to take the minor child into protective custody.

Upon hearing this, Williams’s girlfriend yelled out to Williams, who came in from the garage and in one motion, charged and punched the victim in the face, breaking his nose. The minor child was in or near the path of Williams as he rushed the victim. Williams’s momentum caused both he and the victim to fall to the ground, where Williams continued to assault the victim, even locking his arm around the victim’s neck. It took another officer at the residence threatening Williams with a Taser to cause Williams to stop the assault. Afterward, Williams told the victim that he (Williams) hoped that the assault had “hurt”.  

The case was investigated by the Ozark Police Department and prosecuted by Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dan Brogdon. Prosecution of the case, as always, was a team effort. Dawn Kloba and Julie Harlan served as the Victim Advocates and Donna Hanley served as Legal Assistant. Investigators Greg Reed and Justin Wishin assisted in the investigation and trial preparation for the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Please congratulate Donna Hanley for being recognized as employee of the month of November! Brooke is recognized by her peers as somebody who is caring and thoughtful, always stops by to see how co-workers doing and how their day is going, takes care of extra obligations, is the first one to assist somebody who needs it, and helps cover lunch breaks and referrals, or when somebody is out. She is a great colleague to our office. Congrats Donna!

Please congratulate Brooke Miller for being recognized as employee of the month of September! Brooke is recognized by her peers as somebody who does a good at job, cares about her cases, is kind to others, ready for everything, is always smiling, never a gossiper, and a hard worker. Congrats Brooke!