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Copeland suspects foul play in child's disappearance [Update post 145-Girl's body found]
Neosho Daily News (MO) ^ | Monday, Nov 5, 2007 | John Ford

Posted on 11/07/2007 11:31:44 AM PST by Luke Skyfreeper

Copeland suspects foul play in child's disappearance

By John Ford / Daily News Managing Editor
Published: Monday, November 5, 2007 4:34 PM CST
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Rowan Ford, 9, has been missing from her home in Stella since Friday evening. If you have any information about her, please call the Newton County Sheriff's Office at 451-8300 or 451-4242. COURTESY PHOTO

Foul play is suspected in the disappearance of a 9-year-old Stella girl who has been missing from her home since late Friday night.

Rowan Ford, 9, was reported missing at 6:50 p.m. Saturday by her mother and step-father Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland said Sunday afternoon. The girl was last seen at her home at 777 Grove St. in Stella at 10:45 p.m. Friday night.

Copeland said the mother, Colleen Spears, last saw the girl at about 8:30 p.m. Friday when she kissed her goodnight before leaving for work at Wal-Mart in Jane.

Copeland said the stepfather, David Spears, and two friends remained at the home until about 10:45 p.m. when they left the home after David Spears checked on the girl, who was still asleep.

"They leave the house unlocked and left a 9-year-old girl by herself," Copeland said. "They cruise around a while, then took one guy home in Wheaton. The other guy brought the step-dad back home around midnight. He failed to check on the girl at that time."

Around 1:30 a.m., Copeland said, David Spears called his mother to ask if he could borrow her car to go somewhere.

"She comes over, gives him the car and goes into the living room, failing to check on the girl," the sheriff said. "About 7 he returns and again fails to check on the girl."

Colleen Spears came home from work at about 9 a.m. and notices something amiss. Usually, on Saturday mornings, the girl greets her mother. But this past Saturday, there was no hug or kiss, no shout of elation that Mom was home.

"She checked the girl's bedroom, and she was not there," said Copeland. "She woke her husband up - he's a very sound sleeper - and he told her she may have gone to a girlfriend's house in the night, he didn't know.

"They hope she's at a girlfriend's house, and waited all day Saturday for her to call. She doesn't," Copeland said.

The couple then began searching for the girl, notifying the sheriff's department of her disappearance shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday night.

"The mother is extremely cooperative with us. She's real distraught over his missing daughter," said Copeland. "The step-dad, he's not cooperating very well. From our investigation, we have every reason to believe foul play is involved. We don't have a suspect at this minute, but we haven't eliminated anyone from being a suspect, either."

Deputies and volunteers were out Sunday searching on foot and on four-wheelers. A group of volunteers were out on horseback looking for the missing girl, while Stella residents fanned out to help. A Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter took to the skies to aid in the search, Copeland said. Tracking dogs were able to follow the girl's scent to outside the home, but the trail then stops, as if she entered a motor vehicle at that point, Copeland said.

"We started in the house and yard, then broadened our search to the city of Stella, then broadened it to other wooded areas," the sheriff said. "The helicopter was able to search a large, large area.

"We have no reason to think she's out wandering around. This little girl was asleep in bed and within an hour and 15 minutes later, she was abducted? The odds are big for that kind of stuff."

The search was discontinued late Sunday because of darkness, and was to begin anew this morning. Copeland was in meetings this morning and could not be reached for comment. A sheriff's department spokeswoman saisd the search continues today for the missing girl.

Miss Ford is described as being 3-feet 11-inches tall and weighing 62 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Authorities are uncertain what she was wearing at the time of her disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Newton County Sheriff's Office at (417) 451-8300.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: cops; crime; dearlittleone; missing; missingchild; missouri; rowanford
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To: bcsco
This whole thing just reads like TV crime drama.

On a completely different note, I don't think those hoop earrings are appropriate for a 9 year-old. We're expecting our first child early next year and my wife and I have had this discussion. She does not think our daughter (if that's what it turns out to be, we don't know boy/girl and don't plan to find out until birth) should have pierced ears until 14. I think younger is fine but only stud earrings until maybe 14.

61 posted on 11/07/2007 1:05:15 PM PST by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: Luke Skyfreeper
"I may not have known Rowan very much, but I know that she loved her mom and her sisters very much,"

Step-father not mentioned? But then again he may not be the church-going kind.

You're right, though. It's easy to read too much into a photo. OTOH, when kids get formal photos taken, there's at least an attempt at either smiles or feigned introspection. Here, there's a feeling of sadness. Maybe it's just me.

62 posted on 11/07/2007 1:09:28 PM PST by bcsco ("The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.")
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To: bcsco

I’ve seen other cases where the person who looked as guilty as sin wasn’t the perp, but do have to agree that Spears is looking guilty right now.


63 posted on 11/07/2007 1:10:54 PM PST by LucyJo
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To: the_devils_advocate_666

Well, first of all, congratulations to you and your wife. You have a great gift coming your way. I’m sure you’ll do fine with it.

I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on the earrings argument yet. You both have a lot of time before that becomes an issue. And a lot of other things you’ll contend with between now and then. The big thing is, just give her (him ?) love, make her a part of your lives, and be sure you remain a part of hers. And discipline is good, especially when it comes with a little wisdom why it’s for her own good, and how it will help her get through life.

The best of luck to you both.

As to this reading like a crime drama, sometimes I wonder whether that’s where some of these people get their ideas.


64 posted on 11/07/2007 1:16:44 PM PST by bcsco ("The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.")
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To: the_devils_advocate_666

This whole thing just reads like TV crime drama.


Go back and read the news stories about Danielle Van Dam.

So far, you could take this entire set of articles on Rowan, and substitute the Van Dam family names, and it would be identical.


65 posted on 11/07/2007 1:18:11 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (- Attention all planets of the solar Federation--Secret plan codeword: Banana)
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To: LucyJo

Oh, that’s true. It could well turn out to be one of the ‘friends’, or even someone else.

But if so, why isn’t he being more cooperative? I’d be an open book should I (God forbid, but mine are grown) be in the same situation.


66 posted on 11/07/2007 1:18:19 PM PST by bcsco ("The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.")
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To: Luke Skyfreeper
Excerpts from a couple of other articles:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3821951&page=1

People talked about the stepfather going out drinking. I had seen no indication that was what he was supposedly doing until this quote:

"The mother worked nights, the dad worked days," Copeland said. "So he was home and he decides to go out drinking with the boys."

So apparently that WAS the story. David Spears was out drinking from 1045 pm until midnight.

More and more damning.

http://www.bnd.com/336/story/170550.html

Colleen Spears got home around 9 a.m. Saturday and discovered that Rowan was not there. She and her husband spent much of the day looking for Rowan at the homes of acquaintances where they thought the girl might have gone, then reported the girl missing at 6:50 p.m.

David Spears, who is staying with his parents, said it was wrong for him to have left the girl alone.

"It was an unforgivably stupid mistake to leave the house," he said.

He also said it was "stupid not to give the whole story" to investigators the first time, but he was afraid they would suspect him in Rowan's disappearance because he had left her alone.

Part of Monday, Colleen Spears sat in a chair in front of her house, hoping for word that her daughter had been found.

"I just want to know where she is," she said. "I just want to know she is safe. (Sometimes I think) this is all just a terrible dream, a terrible nightmare, and I am going to wake up and she is going to be there. There are other times where I think they are not going to find her, or they are going to find her and she is not going to be all right."

67 posted on 11/07/2007 1:26:10 PM PST by Luke Skyfreeper
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To: LucyJo

According to the sheriff’s statements, Spears was supposed to be out drinking with his buddies between 1045 and midnight.


68 posted on 11/07/2007 1:28:05 PM PST by Luke Skyfreeper
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To: Luke Skyfreeper

Could you link the “other articles”, please? I’d like to read the entire article.


69 posted on 11/07/2007 1:29:03 PM PST by LucyJo
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To: Luke Skyfreeper
David Spears, who is staying with his parents

This tells me that the girl's mother thinks he's guilty. He's not welcome in her home, even though he's her husband.

70 posted on 11/07/2007 1:32:32 PM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: LucyJo
Story / related stories here.
71 posted on 11/07/2007 1:37:12 PM PST by labette
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To: GovernmentShrinker
This tells me that the girl's mother thinks he's guilty.

She has her reasons, that's for sure. At a time like this a mother wants comfort, unless...

72 posted on 11/07/2007 1:39:07 PM PST by bcsco ("The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.")
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To: labette

Thanks. : )


73 posted on 11/07/2007 1:42:12 PM PST by LucyJo
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To: LucyJo

Apologies, I’ve closed ‘em all down. I really should’ve made a list of urls.

However, I’ve put pretty much all salient points I found into this thread, and I DO suddenly have significant new information regarding DAVID SPEARS.


74 posted on 11/07/2007 1:42:24 PM PST by Luke Skyfreeper
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To: GovernmentShrinker

One of the articles I read said that the police had asked Spears not to stay on the premises.

However, I do have some new information on David Spears, to follow...


75 posted on 11/07/2007 1:43:22 PM PST by Luke Skyfreeper
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To: bcsco; Luke Skyfreeper
Saw this "hearsay" comment (for what it's worth) from "Wilma" posted in the comments at the end of the original story link posted by LukeSkyfreeper.

"...I heard from people in stella that the school even knew she was having trouble at home...why did the school not report it? Now its too late. "

76 posted on 11/07/2007 1:47:08 PM PST by LucyJo
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To: Luke Skyfreeper

No problem. Looking forward to hearing the info on Spears!


77 posted on 11/07/2007 1:48:35 PM PST by LucyJo
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To: Luke Skyfreeper

Is he related to Britney?


78 posted on 11/07/2007 2:11:40 PM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: sweetliberty; Red Badger; bcsco; EggsAckley; Palladin; AppyPappy; Resolute Conservative; ...
Sweetliberty,

I HAVE your age on the stepdad, and a good deal more.

Full name: DAVID W SPEARS

AGE: If the court records are correct (and they appear to be, as the same date shows up in zabasearch), SPEARS TURNS 25 NEXT WEEK.

Born in 1982.

So the mom, who's probably between 40 and 45, married a guy about the same age as her oldest child.

Really bad judgment on her part. But hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.

He previously lived in Rocky Comfort, MO, another little town just about 5 miles from Stella. (source: zabasearch)

Someone from Rocky Comfort posted in this thread the following:

I think you should put David Spears at the top of the list. He drinks heavily. So of course he sleeps heavy. I pray that the little girl is found safe. IF my daugter or son was missing I would of reported him or her missing immediately.

So it sounds as if someone from the same town as Spears has personal knowledge that he's a heavy drinker. This is also confirmed by his February DWI (see below).

Spears has a child by someone else (a NICCOLE SMITH), as a Missouri court case resulted in a judgment for "child support ordered in the amount of $209.00 per month beginning 01-15-05 on behalf of the minor child."

He also has a DWI from February of this year, and was court-ordered to pay about $4,500 to the hospital in Neosho in 2003. (I'm wondering whether this might have been childbirth expenses?)

Source: name search on David Spears at the following URL

http://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchCases.do?searchType=name

Note: The above info is confirmed to be the SAME David Spears who is Rowan's "stepfather," as the address is given in each court record, and in each case it matches the Stella, Missouri address 100%.

79 posted on 11/07/2007 2:13:30 PM PST by Luke Skyfreeper
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To: Luke Skyfreeper

*sigh*


80 posted on 11/07/2007 2:20:03 PM PST by null and void (No more Bushes/No more Clintons)
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