The body of Melissa Chapman has been found, according to a news release from Worth County Prosecutor Janet Wake Larison released Tuesday. The release stated that a break in the case came when a tip was received by the Worth County Sheriff’s Office on Monday at around 5:00 pm.
Multiple police departments were involved in the investigation, including the Worth County Sheriff’s Department, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department, the Gentry County Sheriff’s Department, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control.
Larison’s release says the investigation is ongoing and no further details will be released.
Chapman had been slated to testify in a criminal case against Jeremiah Searles in Harrison County. On August 23rd, she went missing; she was last seen in Mount Ayr; her car and her cell phone were recovered, but not her. Subsequently, Searles had his bond revoked and was rearrested. He had been out on a $10,000 bond, in which Judge Thomas Alley allowed him to post 10% cash, or $1,000.
The case drew regional attention following a vigil in which people from the community gathered on the Grant City Square. A second vigil, held last Wednesday, brought KQ2 of St. Joseph and KCCI of Des Moines. The case drew national attention when Inside Edition did a segment on the case Monday.
No comments:
Post a Comment