Missing 9-Year-Old Mo. Girl Found Dead
Pastor Dale Morgan
Missing 9-Year-Old Mo. Girl Found Dead*
By MARCUS KABEL,
Associated Press Writer
NEOSHO, Mo. - A 9-year-old girl who had been missing for a week was
found dead Friday in a cave, authorities said.
The body of Rowan Ford was found on private land about 10 miles south of
the girl's hometown of Stella, a village of about 200 people, Newton
County Sheriff Ken Copeland said. He said authorities were still
determining how the girl died.
"We know we have a homicide," Copeland said, declining to elaborate.
He declined to say if there were any suspects but said no arrests have
been made.
The McDonald County deputy who found the body had searched the area on
his way to work after recalling that there was a cavern there, Copeland
said. The FBI was gathering the evidence at the scene.
Stella Mayor Bill Alsop, who answered the phone at the family's home
Friday, said the girl's mother was "pretty shook up" when Copeland came
to the home that morning and told her the body was very likely Rowan's.
"He told her they found the body of the little girl, and they were 99
percent sure it was her daughter," Alsop said.
Rowan was reported missing after her mother, Colleen Spears, returned
home early Nov. 3 from a night shift at a Wal-Mart.
The girl's stepfather, David Spears, told investigators he and two male
friends were with Rowan the night before until they went out around
10:45 p.m. He returned home around midnight but did not check on the
girl, Copeland said.
David Spears also later told authorities that he called his mother
sometime after 1 a.m. 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 during that time. He has not been accused of a crime.
David Spears declined to comment. He has been staying at his mother's
house outside Stella since Rowan's disappearance.
"He's pretty torn up. He's extremely distraught. He's been crying quite
a bit," his mother, Myrna Spears, said.
His mother declined to answer any questions about what happened that
night. David Spears previously has said that it was wrong for him to
leave the girl alone.