An . I dont understand what makes people get like that, says Williams. Rainwater was last seen in July and was reported missing in late August. 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 new charges come after remains recovered at Phelps property just days after his arrest were positively identified as Rainwaters. There are as many as 23 remains being looked into. 7. . They allegedly recovered messages between Phelps and Norton planning Rainwaters murder on Jul. 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. Deputies report they found other DNA belonging to Cassidy on an adjacent property belonging to the late Bill Rainwater, Cassidy's grandfather. A Dallas County deputy had alerted a firefighter after discovering a trip wire near the home. DNA tests positively identified human remains found in a freezer at a Missouri home as missing woman Cassidy Rainwater; Rainwater, 33, was last seen on July 24 at James Phelps' home, but she was . Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. I dont think Cassidy would have ever run off without keeping in contact with her family, she said. Also on Friday, according to online court records, Judge Jill Porter sentenced Phelps to life in prison with no chance for parole. In the weeks that followed, Phelps and co-defendant Timothy Norton pleaded not guilty to new criminal charges. what really happened to Cassidy Rainwater. He said she had been talking about going to Colorado. Norton stated he helped Phelps carry Cassidy's body into the house and placed her into the bathtub.". Investigators with the Missouri State Fire Marshals Office concluded that an Oct. 4 house fire at the center of a kidnapping case in Dallas County was a result of arson. Rainwater was last seen alive in mid-July. 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. Other photos allegedly showed "Cassidy's body bound to a gantry crane, commonly used for deer processing, and her evisceration and dismemberment. On Wednesday, the Dallas County Sheriffs Department announced the murder charges. He said hed held Rainwaters legs while Phelps strangled her and placed a bag over her head. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time James David Phelps, 58, told investigators that he was helping the 33-year-old woman "get back on her feet" and that she had been living in the loft area of his cabin at 386 Moon Valley Road. Laura Bauer came to The Star in 2005 after spending much of her life in southwest Missouri. Rainwater was last seen alive in mid-July. Police say items from the freezer that appeared to be human flesh have been positively identified as Rainwaters remains, and skeletal remains belonging to her were also uncovered. This was less than 24 hours after the home where Phelps was staying burned to the ground. Phelps and Norton appeared before a Dallas County judge via a webcam over their kidnapping charges, represented by different public defenders. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Man charged in Cassidy Rainwater death enters plea, sentenced to life, Popular Mobile Games You Must Play In 2023, according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute, Murder charges filed, gruesome details released in Cassidy Rainwater case, Man charged in Cassidy Rainwater death enters plea, sentenced to life. Some skeletal remains believed to be Rainwater were located on the adjacent property, authorities said. 18:16 BST 18 Nov 2021. Dallas County Judge Jill Porter sentenced Phelps to life in prison without parole. 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In reality, police say, the whole time Phelps claimed he was graciously letting Rainwater stay with him until she got back on her feet, he was actually plotting her murder. Deputies searched around some properties in rural Dallas County, including the home connected to James Phelps on Moon Valley Road, for evidence in the investigation. Both Phelps and Norton appeared via a video conference call from the Dallas County Jail. against Timothy Norton, 56, and James Phelps, 58, in a statement on Facebook, and court documents reveal new disturbing details of the case. 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. Missing Missouri Woman Was Gutted and Stashed in Freezer, Police Reveal SCENE OF HORROR Cassidy Rainwater's alleged kidnappers have been unmasked as her alleged murderers, as police reveal. The Dallas County Sheriff's Office laid out the case on social media today, announcing details surrounding the murder. 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. 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. Heres How, Roy Wood Jr. Dallas County land records show that the Rainwater family still owns land that surrounds the unsecured crime scene. Nobody was hurt from the blaze, but authorities have not reported any arrests in the fire investigation. He noted there is a lot of misinformation circulating in the case. Authorities searched the area to figure out how the fire started and if there could be more tripwires than one spotted near the home. According to the Kansas City Star, the kidnapping charge was upgraded on Wednesday to first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. Shes a member of the investigative team focusing on watchdog journalism. Police have not yet given a motive for the grisly crime, but they say Phelps and Norton planned it in advance. A missing persons case in southwest Missouri has shaken three counties to their core after the two men involved in Cassidy Rainwater's kidnapping were arrested in Lebanon. On Aug. 25, police spoke to Phelps, who allegedly claimed Rainwater had been staying with him temporarily, and then one night, left likely for Colorado. DALLAS COUNTY, Mo. During the investigation, detectives identified Timothy Norton as being connected to the case. The FBI passed along information Thursday that led to the arrest of James Phelps, 58, at a. The red dot is where Phelps' cabin sits. After she was dead, he said, theyd taken her outside and bound her to the gantry crane, where Phelps began eviscerating and dismembering her. 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. Per court records, James Phelps told police the last time he saw Cassidy was on this day. How do I keep bugs off my patio this spring? Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice said Wednesday in a Facebook post that the seven photos also showed Rainwater's body on a gantry crane, which is commonly used for deer processing, where she was disemboweled and dismembered before her body was placed in a bathtub. The Rainwater case dates back to September 2021 after the Kansas City office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation received an anonymous tip with photos of Rainwaters partially nude body inside a cage. Phelps' house later burned to the ground in what investigators determined was arson. 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. Phelps' case was moved to Jasper County last week. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. 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. Cassidy was reported missing by a family member in August but reports say she was last seen on July 25th. Federal investigators said no one has seen Cassidy Rainwater since July. No official motive in Rainwaters killing has been disclosed. Digital evidence found at the scene revealed messages between Phelps and Norton planning Rainwater's death, the sheriff said. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. We could feel the heat, said Nicholson. 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. 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. That home burned to the ground in early October 2021 and authorities ruled it arson. Cassidy Rainwater murder suspect gets life in prison. Phelps is scheduled to be back in court May 19, while Norton is scheduled to be back in court May 2. James Phelps, 58, and Timothy Norton, 56, were hit with the murder counts as well as being charged with abandonment of a corpse. ", The statement adds: "Detectives recognized items in Phelps back yard that coincided with the photos. 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. He can fix it, Mtley Cre let out their Wild Side rocking NFL Draft stage in Kansas City, NFL executive thanks KC for hosting Draft, says attendance slightly exceeded projection, Photos: Travis Kelce, Machine Gun Kelly, a smashed Super Bowl trophy. The remarks followed a fire at the home of Mr Phelps in October, with investigators finding tripwires at the property. The crime scene was investigated for seven days in mid-September, and according to the Sheriffs Office, investigators collected the gantry device, cage, and "items from the freezer that appeared to be human flesh with a date written on them of 7-24.". Investigators found seven photos of Cassidy Rainwater partially nude while being held in a cage on James Phelps' property in Lebanon. 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. Police have also divulged new information about hundreds of other pieces of evidence recovered in the case, providing disturbing new details about Rainwaters final moments that come as a gut-punch to many who feared the worst from the very beginning. Preliminary hearings for Phelps and Norton, originally set for the first week of February, have been postponed. Officials investigating the fire found two explosive devices made with mortar tubes and balloon covers, with tripwires attached, near the home. She is listed as a freshman in the 2003 yearbook from . Phelps was arrested and sent to the Dallas County Jail, where he is currently in custody. (KY3) - A man has been arrested in the case of missing woman Cassidy Rainwater. Norton is scheduled to appear in court next Tuesday. James Phelps, 58, and Timothy Norton, 56, have been charged with the kidnapping of 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. She wasnt reported missing to authorities until nearly one month later. 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. On Sept. 16, the FBI received an anonymous tip about photos that appeared to depict a partially clothed Rainwater confined to a cage. Norton is said to have told investigators that Phelps then bound her to the gantry crane and dismembered her. 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. When investigators searched Phelps' property, court documents say they found Rainwater's remains in a deep freezer in packages labeled 7-24, the last day Rainwater is believed to be alive.. He is diagnosed with autism, is non-verbal and has medical conditions that require care. The Sheriffs Office said Norton told FBI agents that Phelps asked him to come over to his home, and he held Cassidys legs down as "Phelps strangled her and placed a bag over her head" before bounding Rainwater to the gantry crane where they started the "evisceration and dismemberment of Cassidys body.". In her 25-year career, Lauras stories on child welfare, human trafficking, crime and Kansas secrecy have been nationally recognized. What happened with Cassidy is something nobody should ever go through, said Sheriff Rice in an exclusive interview with KY3 on the following day. Murder charges have been filed in Missouri against two men accused of killing and dismembering Cassidy Rainwater. The home Phelps rented on Moon Valley Road in Dallas County was burned to the ground in the late-evening hours. 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. Cassidy Rainwater was last seen in mid-July. In the report, investigators claimed they found the explosive device in a mortar tube with a balloon cover, which featured tripwires. (KY3) - One of two men accused of kidnapping and killing Cassidy Rainwater in Dallas County entered an Alford plea for first-degree murder. 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. He said that Cassidy had been staying with him until she could get back on her feet, court records say. Cassidy Rainwater Dallas County Sheriff's Office That tip led the FBI to Dallas County, about 160 miles southeast of Kansas City, and launched what became a secretive, weeks-long criminal. 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. Messages between Phelps and Norton showed the two men planning the murder of Cassidy Rainwater, police said. On Sept. 16, an FBI agent in Kansas City contacted detectives in the Sheriff's Department after receiving an anonymous tip about photos that allegedly showed Rainwater being held in a cage, reported CBS affiliate KFVS in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Cassidy Rainwaters alleged kidnappers have been unmasked as her alleged murderers, as police reveal the 33-year-olds brutal final moments. More: Murder charges filed, gruesome details released in Cassidy Rainwater case. Sheriffs officials have said that Phelps said he did but that he hadnt spoken to her in roughly a month. Phelps and Norton have been jailed on a kidnapping charge since mid-September, when photos of Rainwater partially nude and confined to a cage were found on Phelps' phone, authorities said. 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. When police followed up on this. 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. According to court documents cited by WDAF-TV, Phelps reportedly provided inconsistent statements during his interviews with detectives. 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Police found some inaccuracies in his story. The men also were charged with abandonment of a corpse. I am very upset by it.. DALLAS COUNTY, Mo. During that interview, police said Norton confessed that he knew Cassidy Rainwater was being held at the home of James Phelps in a cage. Norton was arrested on September 20 after speaking to authorities. (KY3) - The worst fears of Cassidy Rainwater's family and friends were confirmed Wednesday. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. Porter anticipated Phelps' trial would occur in the summer of 2025, which would be four years after Rainwater's death. Phelps will appear in court Friday. 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. James D. Phelps entered an Alford plea for a charge of first-degree murder in a Dallas County court today, April 28. Upon further investigation, digital messages were reportedly found revealing Phelps' and Timothy Nortons plans to murder Rainwater. A report, first obtained by local news outlet, Murder Charges Filed, Human Remains Found in Missouri Case That Fueled Gruesome TikTok Rumors, It Is Easy for a Person to Disappear: Accused Murderer Suggests Missing Wife Ran Away, E. Jean Carroll Recounts Extremely Painful Rape, Trump Stays Home Shitposting, Too Twee or Not Too Twee: Meet the People Behind the Wes Anderson TikTok Trend, CIA Director, Noam Chomsky Named in Epstein's Private Calendar: Report, Drake, Will Arnett Celebrate Toronto Maple Leafs' (Long-Awaited) Postseason Triumph, Meet the YouTube Creator Busting Crypto Scams, Twitter to Allow Media Publishers to Charge Per Article, Want to Make Cash As a Creator? New motions filed in James. Rainwater has ties to the Kansas City area. 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. In the weeks following the arrest, rumors spread on TikTok that the two men had been butchering humans and storing, even selling, their meat. Whether its a short vacation or theyre jetting off to begin their career, show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift. Investigators ruled the fire as undetermined and criminal. James Phelps, one of two kidnapping suspects charged in the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater, had previously rented the home. An amended criminal complaint shows the two men each still face a kidnapping charge as well as a felony count of abandonment of a corpse, saying they knowingly disposed of the corpse of Cassidy Rainwater at or near Phelps property without notifying authorities. Williams says that a lack of information coming from investigating authorities is leading an entire community to speculate. Phelps and Norton were initially charged with one count of first-degree kidnapping, facilitating a felony, inflicting injury, and terrorizing. The murder charges were announced on Wednesday. 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 . ", According to the statement, police found human flesh inside a freezer at Phelps' home, and that it had been marked with a date: "7/24. Investigators say they dismembered her body in a bathtub. 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. Authorities arrested Phelps and then found the slew of evidence on his property that was revealed by the sheriffs office on Wednesday. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Phelps' co-defendant, Timothy Norton, faces the same charges. Springfield City Officials say they dont have any further information at this time. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Breaks Down His Killer White House Correspondents Dinner Set, Pharrells Something in the Water Fest Cancels Final Day Due to Severe Weather, Stagecoach: Kane Brown Breaks Mental Health Stigma With 'Memory,' Talks Depression, Bernie Sanders: Many GOP Leaders 'Don't Even Believe in Democracy'. 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. Nortons attorney has said he intends to plead not guilty. ", They also found skeletal remains at an adjoining property, which "were confirmed by the crime lab to be Cassidy Rainwater.". Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. If you want a pest-free patio this spring, the most important thing you can do is take away those elements that bugs find desirable. James Phelps and Timothy Norton appeared in court Tuesday. Phelps then said that Rainwater had been staying with him until she could get back on her feet, according to the probable-cause statement related to the initial charges filed against Phelps. The woman was described as sleeping when the attack took place. Some of the woman's body parts were later found in a freezer, he said. 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. James Phelps, 58, and . 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. 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. According to a news release from the Dallas County Sheriffs Office, other photos depicted "Cassidys body bound to a gantry crane, commonly used for deer processing, and her evisceration and dismemberment.". 2 killed, 4 wounded in Mississippi shooting; man arrested, 150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation's worst, Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to 'shut down the FBI' and replace it with something that sounds a lot like the FBI, Sanders: Biden could win in a landslide, Sunny Hostin Responded To Meghan McCain's Recent Scathing Criticism Of "The View" And Thinks She'd Be Great For "Housewives", Possible tornado damage in Fort Hood, Texas, Colts chart new QB path with 1st-round pick Richardson. , updated According to court documents obtained by Fox4, Cassidy Rainwater, 33, was reported missing on August 25, six weeks after she was last seen. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? DNA tests returned to Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice confirmed Rainwaters flesh was found in a freezer. Nms is the Arabic word (Greek "") of a concept of an ethical category, a virtue, in Middle Eastern patriarchal character. She was reported missing by a relative on August 25th. The mystery surrounding the fate of a Missouri woman who vanished over the summer has finally been solvedbut the details about what really happened to Cassidy Rainwater are more ghastly than anyone could have imagined. Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. Attorneys for James Phelps and the Dallas County Prosecutor agreed Friday to move Phelps' trial to Jasper County after he made a change of venue request earlier in the year. (KY3) - The Dallas County Sheriffs Office led a months-long investigation into the disappearance and death of Cassidy Rainwater, a case that took national spotlight several weeks after she initially went missing. On October 4, a fire that investigators have ruled an arson destroyed Phelps' home. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. It remains unclear if Mr Phelps, who is due in court next week, has a lawyer. He said that Rainwater had been talking about going to Colorado.
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