Springfield man hit by two vehicles, killed

On Nov. 30, 2022, at 9:22 p.m., Springfield Police Department officers responded to a pedestrian hit by two vehicles at Campbell Ave. and Plainview Rd.

Christopher Fleming, 45, of Springfield, was walking westbound across Campbell at Plainview when he walked in front of a northbound blue 2016 Hyundai Sonata, driven by Gracie Lamia, 20, of Springfield, which hit Fleming. Fleming was hit by a second vehicle, a northbound silver 2007 Lincoln Town Car, driven by Victor Staelens, 54, of Battlefield.

 

Fleming was transported to the hospital where he later died. Fleming’s family has been notified.

Impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash. The circumstances involved in the crash are under investigation.

This is Springfield’s 24th traffic fatality in 2022.

Greene County sees record levels of influenza in November

(From the Springfield-Greene County Health Department)

Springfield-Greene County Health has reported 1,035 cases of flu in Greene County so far this flu season. As of Nov. 26, there have been 876 flu cases in the month of November, making it the worst November for influenza within the last twenty years. The second highest November during this time period was in 2009, when 230 cases were reported.

“The flu is unpredictable,” says Kendra Findley, the Health Department’s Administrator for Communicable Disease. “We were able to anticipate that this season could start earlier and see more cases, but we can’t know if this is the peak or start of a historic surge in flu.”

Getting vaccinated is the best method available to protect yourself against the flu. People with insurance should contact their healthcare provider or a local pharmacy to make an appointment to get vaccinated. Those who are uninsured or underinsured can visit a Health Department Outreach clinic this week to get their flu shot and stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine. A calendar and map of flu and COVID-19 vaccine opportunities is available at vaccine417.com or by calling 417-874-1211.

Additionally, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has free COVID-19, RSV, and Influenza A & B testing available on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. at Teamsters Hall, 1850 E. Division St.

 

In addition to getting vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 and tested when you’re sick, the Health Department is encouraging people to practice good hygiene. Simple things like washing your hands and coughing and sneezing into an elbow or upper arm can help prevent the spread of viruses.

The Health Department is urging people to stay home when they are sick. This includes keeping children home from school when they are showing symptoms of respiratory illness. Staying home will help prevent the spread of illnesses, reduce the impact on our healthcare systems and keep others safe this flu season.

Springfield woman sought for car theft, possession

 

Arrests made in armed robbery of Aurora McDonald's

(From the Aurora/Marionville Police Department)

On 11-29-2022 at approximately 10:00pm, two masked subjects entered the McDonald’s on S. Elliott in Aurora. One subject brandished a handgun and asked an employee to be given access to cash in the store. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken and the suspects left the store on foot.

At approximately 7:20pm today, the AMPD conducted an operation and served a search warrant inside the city limits of Aurora. The search warrant was executed less than 24 hours after the McDonald's robbery that occurred last night. 

We have suspects in custody under suspicion of that robbery and other robberies in the area. We have located evidence used in the robbery including the firearm used. This is still an active investigation, but we want the community to know we have them in custody and we have law enforcement from other nearby jurisdictions who also have charges for similar crimes.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.

More details will be released at a later time. 

Springfield man sentenced to nearly 20 years on child sexual exploitation charges

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Springfield, Mo., man who was the subject of an undercover investigation in the United Kingdom has been sentenced in federal court on child sexual exploitation charges.

Kody Ryan Kelso, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 19 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Kelso to spend 15 years on supervised release following incarceration.

On July 6, 2022, Kelso pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography and to one count of using the internet and a cell phone to coerce and entice a child under the age of 14 to engage in illicit sexual activity.

Both of the offenses to which Kelso pleaded guilty are related to an undercover law enforcement operation in the United Kingdom. Kelso used an online service named My LOL, a teen dating site with chat features, to contact a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, but in reality was an undercover law enforcement officer. Kelso asked her to have sexual intercourse with him and repeatedly requested sexually explicit images during online chats from Jan. 7 to Feb. 2, 2021. Kelso also provided his email address and asked her to use Google hangouts to send sexually explicit photos outside the MYLOL platform.

In addition to the information from Europol, investigators received two Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding Kelso’s online activity and posting a child pornography video online.

On June 16, 2021, Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Kelso’s apartment and he was arrested. Officers seized 19 electronic devices. Investigators found 26 images and 39 video files of child pornography on Kelso’s computers. 

According to court documents, Kelso had multiple conversations with other users who had clearly identified themselves as minors and sought to have them produce sexually explicit images and entice them into engaging in sexual conduct. The records from MyLOL reveal that Kelso had contacted 560 additional MyLOL users, all of which were listed as being between the age of 13 and 17 years old. He started each conversation by asking if the child had an “age limit” and would introduce sexual topics.

Kelso’s behavior was not limited to MyLOL. On his devices, law enforcement discovered approximately 7,900 different chat threads with different users, over multiple social media applications, including Discord, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Instagram, Kik, Skype, and Text Now. Kelso sometimes sent child pornography, or pornographic images of himself, to these children and requested nude images.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.

Four people killed, 1-year-old injured in 3-car accident on I-44

 
Four people were killed and one injured in a three-vehicle accident 9:59 p.m. Thursday on I-44 two miles west of Springfield.

According to the Highway Patrol report, a 2021 Ram 1500 driven by Joshua R. Wamsley, 33, Springfield, struck a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse driven by Ryan Schultz, 40, Fair Grove, in the rear then traveled into the westbound lanes and hit a 2018 Ford Escape driven by Patrick J. Holloway, 44, Republic, head on.

Wamsley was pronounced dead by Dr. Robinson at Cox South Hospital, at 10:32 p.m. Dr. Stuppe at Cox pronounced Shandrea L. Holloway, 44, Republic, a passenger in the Holloway vehicle, dead at 10:39 p.m.

Holloway and a passenger in the Wamsley vehicle, Danielle E. Dillman, 36, Springfield were pronounced dead at the scene by Greene County Medical Examiner Buddy Pilmore.

Another passenger in the Holloway vehicle, a 1-year-old girl was treated for moderate injuries at Cox South.

The fatalities were the 123rd, 124th, 125th and 126th this year for Highway Patrol Troop D.

Another passenger in the Holloway vehicle, a 1-year-

Reeds Spring woman sought on stolen property, drug charges

 

Buffalo man dies in crash at 1955 E. Division

(From the Springfield Police Department)

On Nov. 19, 2022, at 10:29 a.m., officers with the Springfield Police Department responded to a single vehicle crash in front of 1955 E. Division.

Ronald McClellan, 61, of Buffalo, was driving eastbound on Division when he left the roadway and hit a utility pole. McClellan was transported to the hospital where he later died. McClellan’s family has been notified.

The circumstances involved in the crash are under investigation.

This is Springfield’s 23rd fatal vehicle crash in 2022.

Springfield Police seeking tips on N. Lone Pine Avenue homicide

(From the Springfield Police Department)

The Springfield Police Department continues to investigate the homicide that happened at 1824 N. Lone Pine Ave., on Nov. 1, and the department is asking the public for help.

Anyone with information about the death of Timothy J. Williamson, 42, from Springfield should call 417-864-1810 or make any anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477).

Previous news release

On Nov. 1, 2022, at approximately 11:48 a.m., the Springfield Police Department was dispatched to 1824 N. Lone Pine Ave., to a man bleeding from unknown injuries. When officers arrived at the residence, they determined the man was deceased and circumstances surrounding the death appeared to be suspicious.

The man was identified as Timothy J. Williamson, 42, from Springfield. Williamson’s family has been notified.

A suspect has not been identified in this case.

 

Detectives are investigating Williamson’s death as a homicide and are asking anyone who has information about this incident to contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477).

This incident marks the 16th homicide investigation for 2022.

Springfield Police needs help identifying armed robber

(From the Springfield Police Department)

The Springfield Police Department needs the public’s assistance with identifying the suspect in a recent Casey’s robbery at 1510 N. Glenstone Ave.

On Oct. 31, the suspect presented a firearm and demanded money at Casey’s. The suspect was wearing a ghillie suit/Halloween costume. Security footage shows images of the suspect without a mask.

The suspect is a white male with a mohawk-style haircut.

If anyone recognizes the suspect, please contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477).

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