Christian County Prosecuting Attorney

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that on April 10, 2015, JULIE M. HORSTMYER DOB: 9/9/1982 formerly of Republic, MO, was sentenced by Special Judge Michael Cordonnier to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections after having pled guilty on March 6, 2015, to the class C felony of endangering the welfare of a child first degree pursuant to a plea agreement. Seven years is the maximum term of imprisonment for a class C felony.

On November 5, 2011, Julie Horstmyer called 911 shortly after 8:00 a.m., after another adult in the residence where she was staying found Horstmyer’s two-year-old daughter non-responsive and cold to touch in a pack and play. Emergency personnel responded to the residence in Clever, Missouri and the two-year old was pronounced dead at the scene. The pathologist found the child died as a result of sertraline (Zoloft) in her system. Horstmyer pled guilty to endangering the welfare of a child first degree by knowingly creating a grave risk to the life, body or health of the child by failing to seek medical treatment for the child after the child ingested sertraline (Zoloft).

Endangering the welfare of a child 1st degree is a class C felony. The range of punishment is 1 day to 1 year in the Christian County Jail or two years to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a fine up to $5000.

This case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution was handled by Prosecuting Attorney Amy Fite

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The Missouri Victim Assistance Network (MOVA) awarded the James P. Damose Award to Prosecutor Amy Fite at the MOVA Conference on March 26, 2015 in Springfield, Missouri. This award is to honor professionals in the fields of law enforcement, social services, and the judicial system. This award is presented to an individual who has made a significant difference to victims and/or victim services above and beyond their designated responsibilities.

OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announces that on February 24, 2015, ROBERT W. BERRY, DOB: 12-28-1965, formerly of Sparta, MO pled guilty to assault in the first degree, armed criminal action, and burglary in the first degree, before the Honorable Senior Judge J. Miles Sweeney. Berry was set for jury trial on March 9, 2015.

On January 9, 2011 Robert Berry entered D.W.’s residence without permission armed with two firearms. Berry was waiting for D.W. inside the residence when she returned home from church and shot her multiple times in the head and upper body. After a struggle, D.W. was able to escape to a neighbor’s house for help. Berry’s prints were located on evidence collected at the scene.

Robert Berry fled the state and was arrested in Arkansas on January 13, 2011, following a brief pursuit by police. Investigators located women’s clothing, a woman’s wig, and an atlas inside the vehicle Berry was driving. In addition, Robert Berry had altered his appearance by shaving his head. Investigators also located a pair of blood stained blue jeans in the vehicle belonging to Berry that were submitted to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Lab in Springfield for DNA analysis. That analysis determined the blood on the jeans to be consistent with the victim.

The defendant is set for a sentencing hearing on May 7, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. The range in punishment for Count I: assault in the first degree is 10 years to 30 years of life in the Missouri Department of Corrections. In addition, the defendant must serve 85% of any sentence before being eligible for parole. The range in punishment for Count II: armed criminal action is a minimum of three years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Under count III: burglary in the first degree the range of punishment is five to fifteen years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. The maximum sentence the defendant could serve for the maximum term on each count and each count to be run consecutively to one another.

This case was investigated by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by 1st Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Tuohy and Prosecuting Attorney Amy Fite.

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OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that on February 24, 2015, DUSTY A. STEVENS DOB: 10/16/1992 formerly of Buffalo, MO pled guilty and was sentenced by Special Judge Blankenship. Stevens was set for jury trial on February 25, 2015. On February 24, 2015 Stevens decided instead to plead guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to three counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree.
All three counts involve the defendant having deviate sexual intercourse with a nine- year-old girl. The acts occurred between February 6, 2010 and November 23, 2010. The offense occurred in a residence in Sparta where both the defendant and child were living.
Special Judge Blakenship sentenced Stevens to TWENTY YEARS in the Missouri Department of Corrections on Count I, II and III. All counts run concurrent and concurrently with case number 13CT-CR00751-01. Stevens is currently serving a total of a 20 year sentence in that case for statutory rape 1st degree, child molestation 2nd degree and sexual misconduct of a child.
This case was investigated by Det. Shayne Duryea with the Christian County Sheriff’s Department.

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Cheri K. Cobb joined the Christian County Prosecutor’s Office on February 24, 2015. Cheri received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology in 1996 from Drury College, now Drury University. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1999. She began her law career as an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Springfield, Missouri. Upon leaving the City of Springfield, she opened her own criminal defense and civil law practice. She joined the Webster County Prosecutor’s Office specializing in criminal and civil child support actions, misdemeanors and traffic offences in September of 2010 and remained serving until December of 2014.

She will be handling a misdemeanor and traffic docket.