On May 25th at approximately 9:50 pm Bates County Dispatch received a call in reference to potential shots fired in the area of southeast of Rich Hill. Shortly after the initial call a second call came in stating there was a fire in the middle of a field where no one had authorization to be. Rich Hill Fire and Deputies were dispatched to the area and met with the original reporting person and located a vehicle on fire in the field.
The fire was extinguished, and an investigation was initiated to determine who drove the vehicle to that location and set it on fire. The owner of the vehicle was identified and contact was made with the registered owner's wife at their residence in Rich Hill. She stated he wasn't home and she did not know where he could be and was unaware of how the Jeep got to its destination.
In the early hours the next day, a missing person report was made and the male subject was entered into MULES. At daylight deputies with the Bates County Sheriff’s Office began to search the very large area for any signs of the registered owner. While a search was being conducted on the property, Detectives began working with the family and gaining information about the registered owner. A search of the immediate approximately 500 acres did not reveal any signs of the owner. The Sheriff’s Office newly formed water rescue team patrolled 7 miles of the Marais Des Cygnes River that ran adjacent to the property in question. Additional information was developed throughout the investigation and the fact that the male subject didn’t return home or have any contact with known associates, the decision was made to widen the search area and again return on the 27th.
At approximately 8am on May 27th, all available Deputy and Sheriff’s Posse Members assembled at the Sheriff’s Office warehouse. Approximately 28 individuals responded to the area to begin a slow methodical search of the approximate 1400 acres identified to be searched.
Deputies with the Mounted Patrol Unit teamed up with members of the Sheriff’s Posse Horses (personally owned) to search on horseback. The Posse Members also teamed up with Sheriff’s Deputies to search with UTVs and ATVs. The Sheriff’s Posse provided their newly purchased Search and Rescue UTV to assist. The Sheriff’s Office Drone Unit along with a highly trained drone operator with the Sheriff’s Posse utilized the drones (Posse member’s personal drone) to help search the large area.
At approximately 10:15 am search teams located what they thought was a person in a remote area of the search area. The Drones were directed to the location to confirm that it was a person and to identify any dangers in the area before they approached. The drones confirmed that the male was deceased and the search and rescue became a recovery operation. Members of the Bates County Coroner’s Office were called to the scene to begin a joint death investigation. There is no known threat or danger to the general public and it appears that this was a self-inflicted death.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim. This is not the outcome we hoped for but we are able to give the family some answers and bring their loved one home.” said Sheriff Anderson. “I want to say Thank You to the property owners and neighbors who worked with us in this search. I want to say a big Thank You to the men and women of the Volunteer Sheriff’s Posse for their assistance and using their own equipment to help supplement us when we need additional resources. A search of an area this size could not have been done by law enforcement as quickly or efficiently without the addition help from volunteers”
According to the International Association of Police Chief’s website “More than ever, volunteerism in the law enforcement arena has become a need and not a luxury. The financial return on investment of a volunteer program can be substantial, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of value added to the agency each year.” This community is blessed to have people volunteer with the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Service like the Fire Departments.
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