A Joplin couple, whose children were removed from their home in October because of alleged unsanitary conditions, waived preliminary hearings Wednesday in Jasper County Circuit Court on the felony child-endangerment charges.
Associate Judge Richard Copeland ordered Clinton Gray, 34, and Julie A. Gray, 22, bound over for trial at separate hearings in Joplin. Each of the Grays is to make an initial appearance May 7 in a trial division of the court.
The Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services removed a 6-month-old baby and a 1-year-old toddler from the Grays’ home at 524 S. Park Ave. after a child-welfare check in October.
A probable-cause affidavit written by Joplin police Detective Trevor Duncan states that the home had “a strong stench,” with trash covering the floors and dirty diapers strewn about when Duncan went there Oct. 11.
The detective wrote that he found food and trash all over the kitchen and “hundreds upon hundreds” of cockroaches crawling everywhere, even inside the refrigerator. The bathtub in the house was covered with cockroaches and what appeared to the detective to be fleas.
Crime & Courts
Endangerment case subject of judge’s order for trial
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Murder warrant issued in fatal domestic shooting
Police believe Doyle Handle shot himself after fatally shooting Dena Davenport during a domestic disturbance Thursday night at their residence in Grove. Officers responded to a 6:55 p.m. report of a shooting at the couple’s home on Wood Street on the southwest side of Grove and found Handle, 52, in the front yard with a gunshot wound to his jaw.
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Murder warrant issued in fatal domestic shooting
Police believe Doyle Handle shot himself after fatally shooting Dena Davenport during a domestic disturbance Thursday night at their residence in Grove.
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No charges to be filed in Joplin shooting case
The nonfatal shooting of a 25-year-old man at a Joplin residence on May 13 has been deemed justified by authorities. Jacob B. Boykin, 21, of Joplin, shot Justin S. Johnson, 25, of Carterville, once in the chest with a small-caliber handgun at 5260 E. Sunny Acres Lane.
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Alcohol cited as factor in Grand Lake boat crash that killed two college students
Alcohol was one of several factors contributing to a boating accident on Grand Lake earlier this month that claimed the lives of two college students.
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Hired hand won’t face death penalty in Vernon County murder case
The state has agreed not to seek the death penalty against Jeremy L. Maples in the murder of Belinda J. Beisly, but prosecutors have yet to take the option off the table for the victim’s husband, Bob T. Beisly II.
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Former IRS worker gets probation after guilty plea to theft of funds
Pittsburg resident and former Internal Revenue Service employee Becky L. Book received two years probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to the theft of $26,449.65 in public funds.
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Arma mother facing murder charge in sleeping baby’s death
Heather Buckalew fell asleep on a couch with her 4-month-old baby after a night last summer drinking beer with her boyfriend. The boyfriend, Donald Harvey, got up to go to work a few hours later and spotted his son, lying face down on a pillow between the back of the couch and his sleeping mother.
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Vandals cause $37,000 in damage at Joplin business
A Joplin business owner was the victim of a weekend vandalism spree that resulted in an estimated $37,000 in damages and theft, in addition to putting the company out of service for at least two days.
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Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
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Firefighters douse blaze inside wall; no injuries cited
The Joplin Fire Department used thermal-imaging equipment Wednesday night to detect a hidden fire inside a residence.
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Murder warrant issued in fatal domestic shooting



