The following cases were heard on July 26, 2021, in the Circuit Court of Callaway County, Missouri, Division IV, Honorable Josh Devine presiding:
Stacey Marie Bailey, 37, of Ashland, was sentenced to 6 years in prison on charges of burglary in the second degree and tampering in the first degree. Bailey had been on probation for the offenses, admitted violating probation, and the judge revoked it. The cases were originally investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Carl Frederick Baker, 59, of Loose Creek, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm. Baker admitted that in October 2018 he had a .25 caliber pistol in a safe in his home during execution of a narcotics-related search warrant at a Kingdom City business. Baker admitted that he allowed a family member to keep the handgun in his safe despite his being prohibited from possessing a firearm based on a previous conviction for forgery in 2015 in Callaway County. The judge sentenced Baker to 4 years in prison but suspended execution of that sentence and placed him on five years of supervised probation. The case was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office and MUSTANG Drug Task Force.
Melissa Louise Bratcher, 24, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty to felony stealing. Bratcher admitted that she, acting with others, stole tools and other items from a residence on County Road 4002 in June 2020. Deputies were called to the scene for a burglary in progress. Shortly thereafter, Bratcher and another man were located and found to be in possession of the stolen property. Bratcher admitted her involvement in the theft of the property. The judge placed Bratcher on five years of supervised probation. The case was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Jacques Patrick Breen, 41, of Columbia, failed to appear in court for two cases. Warrants were issued for his arrest.
Earl Frances Breese, IV, 36, of Canton, Ohio, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance (tetrahydrocannabinol). Breese admitted that he possessed the drugs when he was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for traffic violations in July 2020. Breese admitted that he possessed THC infused edibles, several containers of concentrated THC, commonly known as THC wax, as well as raw marijuana. The judge placed Breese on five year of supervised probation. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Ray Anthony Collins, 65, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated (3rd offense). Collins admitted that he was operating a vehicle on Old Highway 40 near State Road DD in February 2019 while under the influence of a drug. Authorities were notified by a concerned citizen that a vehicle was parked in the roadway and had been for approximately 30 minutes. A trooper responded and found Colins in his vehicle, parked in the roadway with the engine running and the brake lights activated. Collins was lethargic, confused about where he was, and his speech was slurred and mumbled. Collins performed poorly on field sobriety tests. Collins submitted to a breath test that did not test positive for alcohol. The trooper suspected that Collins was under the influence of drugs and requested a blood sample which Collins refused. A judge issued a search warrant for a blood sample from Collins. The lab result confirmed that Collins was under the influence of several drugs. The offense was enhanced to a felony based on Collins’ prior convictions for DWI in 2003 and 2007 in Boone County. The judge sentenced Collins to 4 years in prison but suspended execution of that sentence and placed him on five years of supervised probation under several conditions, including that Collins serve 30 days of shock detention in the county jail. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Randall Jawan Edwards, 41, of Steedman, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated (3rd offense). Edwards admitted that he was operating a vehicle on State Road CC in April 2020 while under the influence of alcohol. Authorities were notified by a concerned citizen who reported a vehicle had left the roadway on State Road CC, crashed into a satellite dish, and then continued south before pulling into a driveway. The citizen pulled into the driveway and blocked Edwards in until a trooper arrived. Witnesses pointed out Edwards as the driver of the vehicle and the trooper made contact with him, finding him to be intoxicated. Edwards performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was arrested for DWI. Edwards consented to giving a blood sample. The lab result confirmed that Edwards blood alcohol content was over twice the presumed level for intoxication. The offense was enhanced to a felony based on Edwards’ prior convictions for DWI in 1995 and 2002 in Callaway County. The judge sentenced Edwards to 4 years in prison but suspended execution of that sentence and placed him on five years of supervised probation under several conditions, including that he serve 30 days shock detention in the county jail and upon his release, successfully complete the Callaway County DWI Court program. The case was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Nicholas Michael Eggert, 29, of Auxvasse, failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Thomas Alan Epperson, 27, of Fulton, pleaded guilty to burglary in the second degree and misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. Epperson admitted that he was operating a vehicle in Fulton while under the influence of alcohol on New Years’ Day in 2021. Authorities were notified by a concerned citizen who reported that a vehicle had been parked in the roadway on Randall Lane and had been for over two hours. The citizen advised that they believed someone was hurt or unconscious in the vehicle. A police officer responded and found Epperson asleep in the vehicle while it was running and parked in the roadway. The officer observed a nearly empty bottle of whiskey in the vehicle and found Epperson to be intoxicated. Epperson refused to perform field sobriety tests but provided a breath sample which confirmed that his blood alcohol contest was over twice the presumed level for intoxication. Epperson was arrested on the charge and the vehicle he was operating was towed to a nearby business. Epperson was subsequently released and advised where his vehicle had been towed. Shortly thereafter, a police officer observed Epperson loitering in the area of that business. Later that day, an officer observed Epperson driving the vehicle that had previously been towed. The officer confirmed with the business that they had not released the vehicle to anyone. An investigation revealed that Epperson had broken into a building at the business and taken the vehicle. Epperson was charged with burglary for breaking into the business to take the vehicle. The judge sentenced Epperson to 3 years in prison for the burglary offense and 60 days in jail for the misdemeanor DWI offense. The judge recommended that Epperson complete a substance abuse treatment program before being released from prison. The case was investigated by the Fulton Police Department.
Christopher Wayne Howery, 33, of Columbia, failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Sammy Lee Jackson, Jr., 21, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. Jackson admitted that he discharged a firearm into a residence on West 5th Street in Fulton in December 2020. Jackson also admitted that he exhibited a loaded handgun in an angry or threatening manner during a second incident later that same day. Authorities were notified of gunshots in the 300 block of West 5th Street in the early morning hours of December 6th. Responding officers found spent shell casings in the roadway and a nearby residence that had been struck by three bullets though no one was injured. Officers were given inconsistent accounts of what had occurred in the area by witnesses believed to have been involved in the shooting, however it was clear that some of the gunshots had come from a vehicle that left the area. Later in the day, another report of gunshots in the 700 block of Jefferson Street were reported. A witness at the previous shooting had fled the second shooting scene and left behind another man who had a gunshot wound to his back. That man survived his wounds and admitted shooting at the vehicle believed to have been involved in the first shooting. Jackson admitted that he was in a vehicle and shot at the residence on West 5th Street during the first shooting and that he displayed a loaded firearm during the second incident while he was in the same vehicle. The judge sentenced Jackson to 4 years in prison for each incident and ordered that the sentences run consecutively to each other for a total of 8 years. Charges remain pending against other defendants alleged to have been involved in one or both shootings. The case was investigated by the Fulton Police Department.
Allen Conrad Knapp, 33, of Columbia, failed to appear in court. A warrant remains outstanding for his arrest.
Alexander Louis Munford, 24, of Mexico, failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Melissa Ann Sapp, 52, of Hartsburg, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). Sapp admitted that she possessed the drug during a traffic stop in April 2020. Sapp consented to a search of her pockets during the stop and the deputy sheriff discovered a container with a small amount of methamphetamine. The judge placed Sapp on five years of supervised probation. The case was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Holly Renee Smith, 34, of Holts Summit, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated (3rd offense) and misdemeanor assault. Smith admitted that she was operating a vehicle on State Road OO in July 2020 while under the influence of alcohol. Authorities responded to the area when a concerned citizen reported a pickup truck travelling at erratic speeds and swerving into the oncoming lane. A trooper made contact with the vehicle and stopped it. Smith was found driving the vehicle and was not wearing a shirt. Smith claimed that she was suffering from hot flashes and was out test-driving the vehicle. The trooper observed indicators of alcohol intoxication and had Smith perform field sobriety tests which indicated she was intoxicated. Smith provided a breath sample that confirmed her blood alcohol content was nearly twice the presumed level for intoxication. While at the jail, Smith repeatedly pushed the trooper and jail staff. The DWI offense was enhanced to a felony based on Smith’s prior convictions for DWI in 2011 and 2016 in Crawford and Callaway counties. The judge sentenced Smith to 4 years in prison for the felony DWI offense but suspended execution of the sentence and placed her on five years of supervised probation under several conditions, including that she successfully complete the Callaway County DWI Court program. The judge sentenced Smith to 2 days in jail for the misdemeanor assault offense. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.