Probable cause statement- Children listened to beating that led to their mother's death

Two Ozark children sat in their rooms behind locked doors and listened to the beating that led to their mother's death.

A probable cause statement filed Monday in Christian County Circuit Court, details the death of Bailey Clemons, a death that authorities say was caused by her husband Aaron, who then tried to cover the crime by burning his house.

Authorities found Bailey Clemons' remains in the house, bound and gagged.

Aaron Clemons, 31, is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, arson, and two counts each of armed criminal action and endangering the welfare of a child.

His bond has been set at $1 million, cash only.

The crime is described in the probable cause statement:

On 6-16-2014, a house fire was reported at 1205 E. McCracken, Ozark, Mo. I arrived on scene after the fire had been put out. I observed that 1205 E. McCracken was a single family residence and was significantly damaged by fire. I could see that most of the main floor was completely gone. I observed furniture and other household items scattered in the debris. This had all collapsed into the basement of the residence. I was advised the house was owned by L and S and occupied by his daughter and her family.

State Fire Marshal John Matney is the investigator assigned to the arson investigation. On 6-23-2014, he advised that his investigation is still ongoing and they are still processing the scene. He advised that during his preliminary investigation and observations of the scene, he has eliminated all accidental causes and smelled a strong odor of  that which is normally associated with the odor of gasoline. Fire Marshal Matney indicated the fire originated in the basement of the home and burned up through the living room floor. He has located what appears to be two melted gasoline containers in close proximity to the location where the body was discovered. He said the containers still contained a small amount of that which is normally associated with the odor of gasoline

Aaron Clemons called 911 on Monday, 6-6-2014 requesting assistance and advised he had been in the fire at 1205 E. McCracken, Ozark, MO earlier in the day. Aaron was contacted by EMS and transported to Mercy Hospital for treatment. I was advised that upon his arrival Aaron made statements to Mercy Hospital staff members indicating he was involved in the death of his wife and that he intentionally set fire to the residence at 1205 E. McCracken, Ozark, MO to cover it up. Aaron stated to hospital staff that she splashed gasoline around prior to setting the house on fire.

On 6-16-14, I contacted Aaron at Mercy Hospital. At the time of this contact, Aaron stated that his children, EC and GC. were at a campsite in Stone County, MO. When asked where his wife was, Aaron said his wife was dead. I again asked him where she was and he told me she was in the house. When asked how his wife died, Aaron stated that he did not know. Aaron told me he had taped his wife's whole body to a pole by wrapping her around her feet, knees, butt, jaw, and head with boxing tape in the basement. Aaron stated he used boxing tape because it stretched.

Aaron said he talked to her fro an hour or so and then went upstairs to get some ice. Aaron said when he came back downstairs, his wife was dead.

On 6-17-14, human remains were recovered from 1205 E. McCracken, Ozark, MO. The remains were subsequently identified as B. C., the wife of Aaron Clemons. Upon discovery, a gag was observed in B. C.'s mouth. The gag appeared to be a sock and was tied behind her head in such a manner that it pulled the sides of her mouth back. A belt was around her neck that was used as an apparent ligature. Her body was burned in the fire and material which appeared to be tape was observed on and under he body. She was found near a pole by the stairs, consistent with the location inside the house Aaron described to me on 6-16-14.

The search crew who recovered and removed the remains advised that when they were moving the remains into a body bag, they smelled a very strong odor which they described as smelling like gasoline.

Two of the Clemons children, six-year-old EC and nine-year-old GC, were present in the home on Saturday 6-14-14. On 6-6-14, both children were located at a campsite in Stone County, MO. I was advised by Detective Shara Stephens that EC disclosed to Angie Youngblood with the Division of Social Services that her daddy had strangled and hit her mommy. The children had forensic interviews at the  Child Advocacy Center in Springfield, MO. On 6-17=14, Detective Shara Stephens attended the interviews. Detective Stephens advised that both children described their mother coming home on Saturday morning and their dad Aaron Clemons meeting her and there being a fight and the defendant sitting on her and beating her. EC demonstrated with anatomical dolls the defendant pulling her down and repeatedly striking her and pulling her into the bedroom. EC describes her mom, BC, telling her children to go to neighbors and get the cops and their dad telling them no and telling them to go to their rooms. EC describes being there while she was in her bedroom and her mom crying and her dad hitting her mom and her mom saying, "I'm bleeding, I'm bleeding," and her dad said, "It's going to get worse."

EC described the defendant yanking her mom down to the basement and that she could hear him putting the duct tape on her mom and her mom screaming.

At the forensic interview, GC describes seeing his dad on top of his mom and hitting her. He described that his dad was on him mom and was sitting on her and that he could hear her screaming and telling him to go the neighbor and call the cops and that his dad told him no, to go to his room and close and lock the door and that they were in their rooms a long time. He described eventually his dad telling him they could come out, that they were going camping. He described that his dad told him that he had taken their mom to work.