Missing Mo. girl found dead
By Marcus Kabel
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11/09/2007
OZARK, Mo. (AP) — A 9-year-old southwest Missouri girl missing for a week was found dead Friday in a sinkhole in eastern McDonald County, a law enforcement official said.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because authorities had not yet made an official announcement, said the body of Rowan Ford was found on private land near Powell, about 10 miles south of the girl’s hometown of Stella, a village of about 200 people.
Rowan was reported missing Saturday after her mother, Colleen Spears, returned home from a night shift at a Wal-Mart in a nearby town and couldn’t find her daughter. Rowan’s stepfather, David Spears, told investigators he last saw the girl asleep in her room around 10:45 p.m. Friday before he left her alone and went out with friends.
Colleen and David Spears 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.
Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland has said David Spears told authorities that he left the girl alone when he went out on Friday night and did not check on her after his friends dropped him off at midnight.
Spears also later told authorities that he called his mother sometime after 1 a.m. Saturday and asked to use her vehicle, Copeland has said. She took it to him about half an hour later, then stayed at his house while her son left in her vehicle for about 5 1/2 hours, Copeland has said. Copeland also has said that Spears has not been able to explain what he did in those 5 1/2 hours.
Spears, who has been staying with his parents, has said it was wrong for him to have left the girl alone.
Damn.
Logan’s Prayer Warriors....a SAD update in #88....
“She took it to him about half an hour later, then stayed at his house while her son left in her vehicle for about 5 1/2 hours,...”
Did she check in on her stepgrandaughter in those 5 1/2 hours?
Get 2 ropes!
AM SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS UPDATE! May God help her family, and justice be served ASAP.
I join in earnest prayer for all the family and loved ones!
Oh, man... talk about the guilt this guy is going to have for the rest of his life.