During that hearing, Judge John C. Porter ruled against a bond request filed by Phelps attorney. A family member contacted the Dallas County Sheriffs Office saying they had not seen Rainwater or heard from her for an unspecified amount of time. According to additional court documents released in September, KY3 learned that Timothy Norton was called to the house by James Phelps one day earlier for help in restraining Cassidy Rainwater. Wiliams lives in Urbana, about half an hour away from the site of Monday nights fire. Nortons attorney has said he intends to plead not guilty. Everything was on fire, and we sat there and watched it collapse. Rumours about what happened to Ms Rainwater forced Scott Rice, the Dallas County sheriff, to decry what he called Fake News on Facebook in October. DALLAS COUNTY, Mo. Preliminary hearings for Phelps and Norton, originally set for the first week of February, have been postponed. Upon further investigation, digital messages were reportedly found revealing Phelps' and Timothy Nortons plans to murder Rainwater. Rainwater, 33, was reported missing on Aug. 26, 2021, after having last been seen in mid-July. And some say to the community. James D. Phelps, 60, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse in the case of 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater. Cassidy Rainwater The last person to see her was Phelps, who had been interviewed by officers right after the missing person's report was filed. On Sept. 16, investigators received a search warrant for James Phelps cellphone, and court records say they found seven photos of Cassidy Rainwater partially nude being held in a cage on his property on Moon Valley Road in Lebanon in Dallas County. James Phelps, 58, and Timothy Norton, 56, have been in custody since mid-September, charged with first-degree kidnapping, facilitating a felony, inflicting injury and terrorizing. The bomb squad arrived around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and shortly after, they detonated an explosive device near the area of the fire. Police had found her remains in a freezer in September, and according to reports, in containers that were labelled with the date 7/24, and which later matched DNA for Ms Rainwater. A report, first obtained by local news outlet Ozarks First from the Springfield Fire Department showed the bomb squad had been called in and found an incendiary device in a mortar tube with an attached trip wire. A representative for the states Division of Fire Safety, which helped investigate the cause of the fire, said the agency provided its report to authorities but cannot comment on the findings because its part of an investigation. Terms of Use | Everything was quiet and I thought moving to the country was going to be the best fit, but now.I dont want to move back to the city but now I feel like I might have made a bad choice, says Williams. Members of the surrounding community are still without answers, and some are turning to any source of information they can get. Norton told FBI agents that Phelps had him come over while Cassidy was sleeping in the living room floor, so he had easy access to attack Cassidy, the sheriffs office said. Those photos, as well as photos of Rainwater strung up on a gantry crane being dismembered and eviscerated, were sent in an anonymous tip to the FBI, according to court documents. The Dallas County Sheriff applied for and received a search warrant for Phelps' phone later that day, WDAF reported, and reportedly found seven pictures . The defendants' attorneys could not be reached for comment. Norton is said to have told investigators that Phelps then bound her to the gantry crane and dismembered her. On Sept. 1, a detective spoke to Phelps at his home in Lebanon. Cassidy Rainwater, 33, was reported missing Aug. 25, and had last been seen six weeks earlier with Phelps. Photos from FBI investigators that were included in court documents on Wednesday also showed her dismembered and semi-naked body that was allegedly strapped into a device. The RENPHO Foot Massager Machine may be just the gift to make Mothers Day extra special for your mom this year. ", After the 33-year-old woman was dead, "he and Phelps took a short break before carrying her body outside," according to the statement. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time The plea came several days after Phelps was granted a change of venue with parties agreeing to move his trial to Jasper County because of extensive media coverage in Dallas County. Norton was arrested on September 20 after speaking to authorities. Norton said he held Rainwater down while Phelps put a plastic bag over her head and strangled her, according to Rice. One of the two men charged in the Dallas County kidnapping and death of Cassidy Rainwater entered an Alford plea on Friday and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Phelps and Norton were seen as suspects from the get-go, and the case took a bizarre turn in October, when the Ozarks home at the center of the investigation burned to the ground and authorities found tripwire and a live incendiary device on the property. When police visited Phelps property, they found the same scene from the photographs provided by the FBI, according to an affidavit by Dallas County Sheriffs Department Sergeant Robby Simmons. The comments below have not been moderated, By Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. Norton was interviewed again on Sept. 20 at the Dallas County Sheriffs Office. More: Murder charges filed, gruesome details released in Cassidy Rainwater case. The FBI contacted Dallas County Sheriffs Office saying they had received an anonymous tip that Cassidy Rainwater was caged up on a property rented by Phelps. His attorneys said they will ask a judge to set a bond. On Nov. 17, the Dallas County prosecutor filed first-degree murder charges against James Phelps and Timothy Norton in Rainwaters death. Court documents accuse Phelps and Norton of holding Cassidy Rainwater in a cage on Moon Valley Road near Windyville, Missouri. The public defenders did not request bond during the hearing. When police followed up on this. Norton is scheduled to appear in Dallas County for a hearing May 2. DALLAS COUNTY, Mo. Phelps entered an Alford plea, a type of guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a conviction. She would stop by, and she would talk to us when we were outside working. In a 2003 yearbook from Harrisonville High School in Cass County, shes listed as a freshman. According to the Kansas City Star, the kidnapping charge was upgraded on Wednesday to first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. Cassidy Rainwater was last seen in mid-July. Our team of reporters stayed in constant contact with Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice for updates in the disappearance of Rainwater. Cassidy Rainwater's remains were found labeled "7-24" in a freezer. Investigators found them. They had previously been charged with kidnapping. We could feel the heat, said Nicholson. Digital evidence found at the scene revealed messages between Phelps and Norton planning Rainwater's death, the sheriff said. Sheriffs officials have said that Phelps said he did but that he hadnt spoken to her in roughly a month. The packages in the freezer containing her remains were labeled 7-24. Rainwater was last seen at some point in late July; a family member who officially reported her missing on Aug. 25 said she had last been seen about six weeks prior. The Dallas County Sheriffs Office has now revealed that the cage was the least of Rainwaters torment: She was strangled by the two men before being gutted and dismembered, according to the officials. Attorneys filed a motion to request a change in the criminal case of James Phelps, one of two men accused in the kidnapping of Cassidy Rainwater. Prosecutors previously charged Phelps and Norton with kidnapping over the disappearance of Rainwater in mid-September, following an FBI tip that led to their arrests. No official motive in Rainwaters killing has been disclosed. In September her accused kidnappers were arrested and charged and in October the two men appeared in court. Authorities have said there is no reason to believe that there are other victims associated with Mr Phelps and Mr Norton, and that the investigation is ongoing. In a September announcement of Phelps arrest, Sheriff Scott Rice had said, Due to the extreme nature of the, In the weeks following the arrest, rumors spread on, trespass, litter, vandalize, harass, or destroy property., In another strange development, on Oct. 4, a, started at Phelps property where Rainwaters remains were found burned the house to the ground. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In a Springfield Bomb Squad report, investigators said they found an incendiary device during a fire at the home connected to James Phelps. He also told the deputy that at the end of July 2021, Rainwater had left in the middle of the night and met with someone in a vehicle at the end of the driveway and he had not seen or heard from her since. Some photos showed the womans body bound to a gantry crane, commonly used for deer processing, and her evisceration and dismemberment, the Dallas County Sheriffs Department posted on its Facebook page back then. The Dallas County Sheriff's Office laid out the case on social media today, announcing details surrounding the murder. Dallas County authorities said James Phelps and Timothy Norton kidnapped Ms Rainwater around the time of her disappearance, allegedly forcing her into a cage. According to court documents, investigators recovered more than 200 pieces of evidence at the home and determined that Rainwaters body had been dismembered. A trial date had not been set. He had spoken to a detective previously on Sept. 1, 2021, and reportedly said that Cassidy was staying with him until she could make it on her own and mentioned going to Colorado. In September, Phelps twice told investigators that Rainwater was staying with him while she got on her feet, but he said he hadn't seen her since she left about a month ago and that she was going to Colorado, Rice said. On September 16, investigators received a search warrant for James Phelps' cell phone, and court records say they found seven photos of Cassidy Rainwater partially nude being held in a cage. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. I refuse to do it | Opinion, Clark Hunt says hes surprised Chiefs players griped about facilities. According to authorities in Missouri, Cassidy Rainwater went missing in late July and was kidnapped and allegedly caged by two men who were charged for her murder on Wednesday. No motive has been revealed in connection with Rainwater's brutal killing. James Phelps, 58, is charged alongside. Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. Norton is scheduled to appear in court next Tuesday. He said hed held Rainwaters legs while Phelps strangled her and placed a bag over her head. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Mom Ana Walshe, Charged with Murder, Newlywed Found Decapitated in Her Home, Her Husband of 3 Months Allegedly Confessed to Killing Her, Ex-Boyfriend Accused of Murdering, Dismembering New York Woman and Stuffing Remains in Suitcase, La. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? He told investigators he was an over-the-road trucker and lives in his truck even when he was not actively working, police said. The next day, Timothy Norton was booked into the Dallas County Jail without bond. While on Phelps' property, detectives also found items in the backyard that "coincided with the photos," the Sheriffs Office said. (KY3) - One of two men accused of kidnapping and killing Cassidy Rainwater in Dallas County entered an Alford plea for first-degree murder. Court documents indicate that when investigators searched Phelps' property, they found Rainwater's remains in a deep-freezer, dated with 7-24, the last day Rainwater is believed to have been alive. Phelps was arrested at the scene on Sept. 16. "Norton stated that Phelps bound her to the gantry crane and Phelps began evisceration and dismemberment of Cassidy's body. It appears that the land has been in the Phelps family for years as multiple people have used that address, according to online court records. A woman who knew Rainwater personally and knows of the suspects spoke with KY3 on the condition of anonymity. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. against Timothy Norton, 56, and James Phelps, 58, in a statement on Facebook, and court documents reveal new disturbing details of the case. But I also feel like if law enforcement and others will give us information, they wouldnt have to resort to that kind offilling in, says local resident Savannah Williams. Officials investigating the fire found two explosive devices made with mortar tubes and balloon covers, with tripwires attached, near the home. Nobody was hurt from the blaze, but authorities have not reported any arrests in the fire investigation. Deputies searched the property for seven days, according to the Dallas County Sheriffs Department. On October 4, a fire that investigators have ruled an arson destroyed Phelps' home. James Phelps, 58, and . Warner Bros. Entertainment | "Norton told FBI agents that Phelps had him come over while Cassidy was sleeping [on] the living room floor, so he had easy access to attack Cassidy," reads the statement. DALLAS COUNTY, Mo. Mr Norton will reportedly plead not guilty and appear in court on Friday, after admitting that he strangled Ms Rainwater, according to Fox4. Several hours later, the bomb squad detonated the suspicious device. DNA tests returned to Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice confirmed Rainwaters flesh was found in a freezer. Admonishing true crime fans who were sitting in their apartment or their mommy and daddys basement eating Great Value cheese puffs and drinking box wine, he went on to say that the public should stop hanging on very word is this type of crap. How do I keep bugs off my patio this spring? 16:05 BST 18 Nov 2021 Literally translated as "virtue", it is now more popularly used in a strong gender-specific context of relations within a family described in terms of honor, attention, respect/respectability, and modesty. About a week later, a Dallas County detective went to Moon Valley Road and spoke to Phelps about the missing-person case. James Phelps, 58, and Timothy Norton, 56, have been in custody since. See Kelce Jam, One person killed, four others injured in crash in Kansas City, Kansas, Jury finds father guilty in 2017 fatal shooting of his childrens mother in Kansas City, Two charged for allegedly stealing NFL jerseys designated for top picks at NFL Draft, Woman found dead in Kansas City apartment on Saturday after caller alerted police, Three men killed in two shootings thought by police to be connected, KCPD says, In fatally shooting man in moving car, KCK cops used tactic discouraged by experts. Porter anticipated Phelps' trial would occur in the summer of 2025, which would be four years after Rainwater's death. Im continuing to pray for her family. (KY3) - A man has been arrested in the case of missing woman Cassidy Rainwater. Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice says investigators have not located any evidence leading them to believe there are any other victims or suspects associated with Phelps and Norton at this time. Cassidy Rainwater's remains found on accused kidnappers' property in Missouri, court docs reveal During a search, investigators on the scene of the Moon Valley Road property found the. The Springfield Bomb Squad also received a call to assist at the scene. Cassidy was at the property looking for her missing mother. Investigators say DNA testing identified her remains. During that interview, police said Norton confessed that he knew Cassidy Rainwater was being held at the home of James Phelps in a cage. The other photos depicted Cassidys body bound to a gantry crane, commonly used for deer processing, and her evisceration and dismemberment.. All pre-trial hearings in Phelps' case will still be held in Dallas County, and even at the trial in Jasper County, Dallas County Judge Jill Porter will preside. Investigators searched Phelps' home near Lebanon, Missouri, for seven days and found the gantry crane, cage and items in the freezer that appeared to be 'human flesh,' Rice said. We want to hear it. Terry told authorities that the last time Rainwater was seen was about six weeks earlier and she believed that a James Rainwater was the last person to see her. The investigation remains ongoing. Cassidy Rainwater (Dallas County Sheriff's Office) Some of Rainwater's remains were found in an adjacent property and in a freezer with "7-24" written on them, authorities said. KOLR-TV was in the courtroom Tuesday, and a judge set preliminary hearings for both men at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 5. The Ozarks home where 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater was allegedly kept in captivity burned to the ground after authorities found a tripwire and a "live incendiary device." 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The home caught fire during the evening hours of Oct. 4. Two men charged in September with felony kidnapping have now been charged with murder in the missing persons case of Cassidy Rainwater, a Missouri woman who appeared caged and partially nude in photos sent to the FBI. Digital. A lawyer for Norton previously denied the kidnapping allegations and could not be reached on Thursday for comment on the murder charges. On Sept. 16, investigators received a search warrant for James Phelps' cell phone, and court records say they found seven photos of Cassidy Rainwater partially nude being held in a cage on his . Phelps and Norton were arrested back in September of 2021 after authorities say they obtained photos of Rainwater in a cage on Phelps property. Norton is scheduled to be back in court May 2. Dallas County Sheriff's Office Detectives then identified. Rainwater was last seen alive in mid-July. After several hours, deputies departed from the scene, but no new findings in the investigation were released. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. He encouraged people not to listen to TikTok creators sitting in their apartment or their mommy and daddys basement eating Great Value cheese puffs and drinking box wine with grand intentions of being a social media superstar, and added that 99.999999 percent of what has been posted to social media is CRAP. He also discouraged people from traveling to the area to trespass, litter, vandalize, harass, or destroy property.. The men also were charged with abandonment of a corpse. Ive been incredibly unsettled since the whole Menagerie started, she said. According to court documents, hed told agents Phelps asked him to come over while Rainwater was sleeping. One of the two men charged in the Dallas County kidnapping and death of Cassidy Rainwater entered an Alford plea on Friday and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The Springfield 3. Two men were charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday after human remains found inside a freezer at a Missouri home were positively identified through DNA testing as Cassidy Rainwater, who was photographed half-naked inside a cage after she went missing before suffering a grisly death. 18:16 BST 18 Nov 2021. Phelps' house later burned to the ground in what investigators determined was arson. what really happened to Cassidy Rainwater. Ad Choices, According to a news release from the Dallas County Sheriffs Office, According to court documents cited by WDAF-TV, The Sheriffs Office said in a news release, detonated an explosive device near the fire, Murder charges filed on the Cassidy Rainwater case Dallas County Sheriffs Office Facebook, Murder charges filed in death of southwest Missouri woman as grisly details revealed - Kansas City Star, Cassidy Rainwater case: Home of alleged kidnapper burns down after new evidence uncovered, 10/7/21 - TCD, 2 Missouri men arrested for allegedly keeping missing woman in a cage, 9/30/21 - TCD, Missouri men accused of keeping missing woman locked in cage, court records say, 9/28/2021 - WDAF. Murder charges have been filed in Missouri against two men accused of killing and dismembering Cassidy Rainwater. James Phelps . Messages between Phelps and Norton showed the two men planning the murder of Cassidy Rainwater, police said. The two later carried her dismembered body inside to the bathtub. The case had already taken a very dark turn in September, when details trickled out about Rainwater being held captive and semi-naked in a cage on Phelps property. Cassidy Rainwater, the missing Missouri woman who was allegedly kidnapped in the Ozarks and kept in a cage, has ties to the Kansas City area. Authorities have not shared many updates since confirming the death of Rainwater on Nov. 17. News of the positive identification was accompanied by the release of sickening new details concerning the kidnapping victim's death, including how the 33-year-old woman was strangled to death, strapped to a crane, eviscerated and cut into pieces, according to authorities. After receiving the information from the FBI, deputies went back out to Moon Valley Road and recognized items in Phelps backyard that coincided with the photos.. It allows the defendant to accept a guilty verdict without a criminal trial, according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute. This was less than 24 hours after the home where Phelps was staying burned to the ground. Sheriff's deputies were contacted in late August by a woman who said Rainwater hadn't been seen for a month and Phelps was the last person she was seen with. At the time he told investigators he had not seen. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. man accused of kidnapping Cassidy Rainwater burns to the ground, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Two accused of kidnapping Cassidy Rainwater appear in Dallas County court, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Neighbor speaks on fire and Dallas Co. investigation of Cassidy Rainwater, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas County sheriff addresses rumors in disappearance case of Cassidy Rainwater, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Investigators found incendiary device during fire at home at center of kidnapping case in Dallas County, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Missouri State Fire Marshal rules fire at home of kidnapping in Dallas County as arson, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Attorneys for James Phelps request new judge in kidnapping case of Cassidy Rainwater, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas County sheriff confirms remains found on James Phelps property as Cassidy Rainwater, PREVIOUS COVERAGE: A closer look at the relationship between James Phelps and Timothy Norton, EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Dallas County sheriff explains whats next in case of Cassidy Rainwater. On Sept. 16, 2021, the Dallas County Sheriffs Office received intel from the FBI that led them to James Phelps' property in Windyville. After entering, they say, Norton said he held Cassidys legs down while Phelps strangled her and placed a bag over her head.. Because of both the complexity of death penalty cases and full case loads for a small staff, they tend to be more drawn out. Phelps, 60, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse in the case of 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater. Court records say Phelps had seven photos of Rainwater on his cellphone that showed her partially nude body inside the cage in the small, rundown home where he was living. The red dot is where Phelps' cabin sits. (KOLR) Cassidy Rainwater, the woman seen in a dark web photo being held in a cage in a partially nude state, was reported missing in August. What happened with Cassidy is something nobody should ever go through, said Sheriff Rice in an exclusive interview with KY3 on the following day. BUFFALO, Mo. The Dallas County Sheriffs Office confirmed with OzarksFirst around 10 p.m., the home caught fire Monday. Phelps is one of two suspects in the Cassidy Rainwater murder case. Dallas County Sheriff's Office Phelps' home was destroyed by fire on Oct. 4. Those items were dated July 24. 7. . He said that Cassidy had been staying with him until she could get back on her feet, court records say. Investigators found seven photos of Cassidy Rainwater partially nude while being held in a cage on James Phelps' property in Lebanon. That tip led the FBI to Dallas County, about 160 miles southeast of Kansas City, and launched what became a secretive, weeks-long criminal investigation. Police say the 33-year-olds remains were found in a freezer at the home of one of the men accused of kidnapping her in Windyville, an unincorporated Ozarks community about 160 miles from Kansas City. Cassidy Rainwater's remains found on accused kidnappers' property in Missouri, court docs reveal During a search, investigators on the scene of the Moon Valley Road property found the. Phelps and Norton appeared before a Dallas County judge via a webcam over their kidnapping charges, represented by different public defenders. In the weeks following the arrest, rumors spread on TikTok that the two men had been butchering humans and storing, even selling, their meat.
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