By Derek Spellman
dspellman@joplinglobe.com
CASSVILLE, Mo. — Hearings for two men charged with the rape and murder of a 9-year-old Stella girl last year have been continued until May, according to court records.
Barry County Prosecutor Johnnie Cox said the hearings were reset so the discovery procedure could continue in the cases of David Spears, 25, of Stella, and Chris Collings, 32, of Wheaton. Each man has been charged in Barry County with first-degree murder, forcible rape and statutory rape in connection with the death of Rowan Ford last year.
Cox said he was still awaiting several reports in the case. Both hearings have been reset for 1 p.m. on May 20.
Both men were bound over to the trial division of Barry County Circuit Court after waiving their preliminary hearings within the past three months. Bond amounts have not been set for either man.
Investigators believe Rowan was abducted early Nov. 3 from her home in Stella in Newton County, raped and murdered in Barry County, and her body disposed of in McDonald County. The body was found in a sinkhole after a nearly weeklong search by authorities and volunteers.
Authorities have said they still are trying to reconcile discrepancies between the two defendants’ accounts of the events leading to Rowan’s death. Both Spears, who was Ford’s stepfather, and Collings allegedly have confessed to rape and murder.
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