Body of School Counselor Found (MO)
Maggie
Springfield (MO) News Leader:
May. 18, 2003
Ava school counselor found dead by creek off Highway Y
About 100 volunteers turned out to search the park where Kathy Stewart
disappeared.
By Ryan Slight
Ava — A morning of fervent searching led to a tragic afternoon discovery in
Ava on Saturday.
Five days after Ava Elementary School counselor Kathy Stewart's disappearance,
a search team found her body about 1:50 p.m. along a creek bank off Douglas
County Y, Douglas County Sheriff Gary Koop said.
Officials suspect Stewart was murdered based on evidence at the scene and will
investigate the case as a possible homicide, the sheriff said.
"I am relieved that we found her," said Koop, appearing weary after several
hours of searching. "I wish we had found her under better circumstances."
The sheriff would not say whether officials have any suspects.
"I can't go into that right now," he said.
Hours before sheriff's deputies unraveled yellow tape at the investigation site
about three miles west of Missouri 5, an estimated 100 Douglas County-area
volunteers roamed a several-mile radius around Ava Water Park searching for
clues.
The community members, led in four separate teams by deputies, braved wet
weather and slick terrain scouring the wooded landscape for any sign of the
counselor missing since Monday.
It was one of the teams that discovered the body, Koop noted.
Armed with bug spray and plastic bags to ward off rain, volunteers from nearby
cities joined Ava residents' quest, voicing disbelief after hearing of
Stewart's disappearance.
"I didn't think anything like that could happen in a small town," Squires
resident Larry Shumate said.
The elementary school counselor left her home after 10 p.m. Monday to walk near
the park, but never returned, the sheriff said.
Her husband, who was watching their three children while she was gone, reported
her missing Tuesday evening when she failed to show up for work or take the
children to school.
After midnight, a police officer saw her van at the park, but officials did not
realize its importance until the missing-persons report was filed. Her purse
was found inside the locked vehicle.
Soaked volunteers gathered around picnic tables under an Ava Water Park
pavilion early Saturday to receive directions from state conservation agent
Jerry Elliott.
"The community helps law enforcement a great deal in all our efforts," Elliott
said. "In a circumstance like this, we've got about 100 people to be our eyes
and ears, and increase our chances of finding something a great deal."
Businesses pitched in as well. An Ava restaurant donated cups and drinks for
searchers in an effort to deter dehydration.
Officials had all volunteers add signatures to a check-in sheet when they
arrived and urged them to sign out before they left, fearing some would get
lost and prompt another search.
Before departing, searchers bowed their heads in a prayer led by Ava General
Baptist Church pastor Oren Alcorn, who spoke of God as a "good shepherd who
would leave the 99 to search for one lost sheep."
The throng quickly divided into four contingents that headed in opposite
directions, including one that tackled brush in a dense forest to the east.
Some volunteers walked within the park, examining a "small radius" extending
outward. Others carpooled to nearby destinations along roadways.
Volunteers were told to shout to a deputy if they found something interesting,
which would then be bagged and photographed.
"Anything you think is evidence, just tell your team leader," Elliott shouted
to helpers.
Some underwent a "carpet search," standing side-by-side and walking forward to
scan a certain space.
Searchers included numerous Ava teachers, who also helped sheriff's deputies
search earlier last week, hoping for a sign of their colleague. Several of them
said the school district superintendent ordered them not to speak about Stewart
or the search.
Roger and Rebecca Miller of Mansfield helped wander the area after learning of
Stewart's disappearance from news reports.
"Hopefully, it will make more people aware that something like this can happen
in a small community," Rebecca Miller said. "We think it's safe, but there are
some crazy people out there.
"It's kind of scary because my mom used to walk in that park late at night,
too," she said, glancing back in the park's direction. "It could happen to
anybody."
Caitlin Turner carefully treaded across a soft, squishy Ava field, eyeing the
muddy earth around her shoes.
Searchers surrounding the Ava Middle School student waded through the knee-high
grass Saturday. They nudged and overturned rocks with their feet, and stopped
to ponder a bit of paper or glass.
Nothing during the expedition seemed to tell the eighth-grader what happened to
Stewart, whom she remembered as her caring former counselor.
"She always said she wanted a daughter like me," said Caitlin, who joined a
search just a couple of blocks from the water park.
"It's still kind of unreal, because nothing like this ever happens here to
anyone you know," said the student, whose gray Ava sweat shirt mirrored the
cloud-covered skies. "I hope anything that God has in his plan to find,
happens."
But officials had little optimism even at the search's start.
"The sad fact is that we're probably looking for a body at this time," said
Koop, who had not encountered a missing-person search of Saturday's magnitude
during his tenure.
"I hate to say it, but if she's out here, we're probably looking for a body,
not a live person," the sheriff said.
A couple hours later a few miles away, another team discovered Stewart's body
while exploring a creek bed along Douglas County Y — just a few miles from
where Stewart was believed to have vanished.
"We had different areas we wanted covered and this was one of them," Koop said.
"We were just going from one to the next, and they got here and found her."
The sheriff declined to comment on what type of condition the body was in, what
wounds may have been found or other evidence officials discovered.
The body was taken to Springfield, where Greene County medical examiners will
conduct an autopsy.
Ava police and Missouri Highway Patrol troopers have assisted the
investigation, Koop said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was also
contacted.
Meanwhile, a city that came together to search for one of its vanished
residents will mourn her loss.
On the vacant downtown square, pictures of Stewart continued to hang in
businesses closed for the weekend.
In one open shop, a young girl solemnly took down Stewart's photos from a
window.
"This was devastating to a family," said volunteer Kenny Lee. "And to a whole
school system."
Maggie
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins
to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
crosem
her husband did not report her missing until Tuesday evening?
hmmmm....
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
news:20030519002227...@mb-m10.aol.com...
| I doubt there's any real mystery here, but just in case..... From the
| Springfield (MO) News Leader:
|
| May. 18, 2003
| Ava school counselor found dead by creek off Highway Y
| About 100 volunteers turned out to search the park where Kathy Stewart
| disappeared.
| By Ryan Slight
|
| Ava - A morning of fervent searching led to a tragic afternoon discovery
| while exploring a creek bed along Douglas County Y - just a few miles from
Maggie
>am I reading this right? she went out for a walk at 10 pm on Monday, and
>her husband did not report her missing until Tuesday evening?
>
>hmmmm....
***You have a problem with that?
Actually, his story is that she went for this walk at 10:00 p.m. on Monday and
he went to bed. When he arose the next morning and she wasn't there, he
assumed she had already left for work and he didn't become alarmed until she
didn't pick up her children at school that afternoon and didn't come home from
work. Strangely, in the six or seven news stories about this that I've read,
not once is the husband's name or occupation mentioned, and there's no
description of the children or their ages. I guess there's a lot of reading
between the lines that needs to be done in some of these small town stories.
crosem
the kids didn't mention her not being there to get them ready for school?
of course, their set-up might have been different, but...
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
news:20030519211315...@mb-m11.aol.com...
Maggie
No one reported seeing Kathy Stewart since May 12.
Autopsy confirms missing woman was murdered
Her body was found Saturday.
By: Christine Bielawski and Dennis Graves, KY3 News
AVA, Mo. -- Douglas County Sheriff Gary Koop said investigators want to
get a second opinion before making a final ruling on the cause of death of a
woman who disappeared last week. Medical examiners did an autopsy Monday
evening on the body of Kathy Stewart.
Searchers found Stewart’s body near a creek outside Ava on Saturday
afternoon after a five-day search and immediately suspected that it was a
murder scene. Stewart’s husband reported her missing on the afternoon of May
13. He told police that she left their house to go for a walk in the city
park about 10 o'clock the previous night. Her husband said he went to bed and
assumed she left for work early Tuesday before he arose. When she didn’t go
to work and didn’t pick up her kids after school, he called police.
Koop said Monday night that the autopsy in Springfield definitely showed
that Stewart was murdered. Another member of the autopsy team, Greene County
Deputy Medical Examiner Ron Yoder, says they just want to "be sure" about what
they believe killed Stewart.
Koop said investigators hadn't zeroed in on one person as a suspect. He
said they have "persons of interest." Koop met with the Douglas County
prosecuting attorney on Monday evening after the autopsy to talk about the next
steps in the investigation.
"We're talking to people and running down any lead that we can think of,"
said Koop. "We're asking the public to please keep on calling if they think
of anything, no matter how small, because we need all the help we can get."
The sheriff wouldn't say who might have had a reason to kill Stewart but
he said he didn't believe that this was an abduction and murder by a
stranger. At least in that regard, he said, people in Ava and Douglas County
should not be alarmed for their safety.
Stewart was a counselor at Ava Elementary School. The high school
graduation ceremony here on Sunday included a tribute to her. Superintendent
Karla Eslinger began the ceremony with kind words about Stewart, followed by a
moment of silence.
crosem
calm the populace that they know who did it and it is a family
member/friend/ of the victim and the general public has no reason to fear...
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
news:20030519233909...@mb-m14.aol.com...
BethF
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
> crosem said:
> >am I reading this right? she went out for a walk at 10 pm on Monday, and
> >her husband did not report her missing until Tuesday evening?
> >
> >hmmmm....
>
> ***You have a problem with that?
>
> Actually, his story is that she went for this walk at 10:00 p.m. on Monday
and
> he went to bed. When he arose the next morning and she wasn't there, he
> assumed she had already left for work and he didn't become alarmed until
she
> didn't pick up her children at school that afternoon and didn't come home
from
> work. Strangely, in the six or seven news stories about this that I've
read,
> not once is the husband's name or occupation mentioned, and there's no
> description of the children or their ages. I guess there's a lot of
reading
> between the lines that needs to be done in some of these small town
stories.
i know that in many places you can't report an adult missing for 24 hours.
Salwar Kameez
without the husband: to smoke. Another reason: when quitting
smoking, having a nicotine fit and feeling much too restless to try to
go to sleep, needing a walk. When I smoked, that last cigarette
before bed was the most "needed" one...and when I quit, sometimes I
went for furious walks at night because I couldn't stand to sit still
around all my triggers. For a time I feared cigs and my old triggers
more than I feared Jack the Ripper. It felt good to get out and walk
furiously.
Jagdeep Cruellruby
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
> crosem said:
> >am I reading this right? she went out for a walk at 10 pm on
Monday, and
> >her husband did not report her missing until Tuesday evening?
> >
> >hmmmm....
>
> ***You have a problem with that?
>
> Actually, his story is that she went for this walk at 10:00 p.m.
on Monday and
> he went to bed. When he arose the next morning and she wasn't
there, he
> assumed she had already left for work and he didn't become alarmed
until she
> didn't pick up her children at school that afternoon and didn't
come home from
> work. Strangely, in the six or seven news stories about this that
I've read,
> not once is the husband's name or occupation mentioned, and
there's no
> description of the children or their ages. I guess there's a lot
of reading
> between the lines that needs to be done in some of these small
town stories.
*****Nah, it's never the husb. Probably another wilding. :)
Actually this story reminds a lot of the one where the husb didn't
report his wife missing over Thanksgiving (some holiday), then they
found a stolen SUV in the empty garage across the street with a
blood smear on the fender. That guy was a stayat home dad with 3 or
so kids too. I don't remember what happened in that case.
JC
Maggie
***From the San Antonio Express News:
McFarland is indicted in slaying of his wife
By Ihosvani Rodriguez
Web Posted : 04/03/2003 12:00 AM
A grand jury officially indicted Richard McFarland on Wednesday on four
charges, including murder, in the death of his wife, Susan McFarland.
The indictment, returned Wednesday afternoon, also charges McFarland with
tampering with evidence, tampering with a witness and unauthorized use of a
motor vehicle.
A trial date has not been set.
McFarland remains in Bexar County Jail in lieu of bonds totaling $550,000.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Bernard is set to try McFarland.
Defense attorney Mark Stevens said he still was reviewing the indictments late
Wednesday and could say only that he is looking forward to the trial.
He added that his office still is trying to lower his client's bond.
In issuing its indictment, the grand jurors indicated they believe McFarland
intentionally and knowingly caused the death of his wife "in a manner and means
unknown to the grand jury." Under Texas law, murder case prosecutors must
present the manner and means of which a person was killed.
Bernard said the wording was used because the Bexar County medical examiner's
office could not define the exact cause of death due to the condition of Susan
McFarland's charred remains.
While it was determined that she had blunt trauma to the head, it was not clear
if it was a fatal blow, Bernard said.
Susan McFarland, a manager at SBC, was reported missing the week of
Thanksgiving. Her remains were found seven weeks later at an abandoned farm in
Southeast Bexar County.
The couple's three children, 6, 9 and 12, live with a foster family.
Jagdeep Cruellruby
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
Oh the poor kids, not even any family to live with. This was such a
weird case. Thanks for posting this.
JC
alexander...@gmail.com
> I doubt there's any real mystery here, but just in case..... From the
> Springfield (MO) News Leader:
>
> May. 18, 2003
> Ava school counselor found dead by creek off Highway Y
> About 100 volunteers turned out to search the park where Kathy Stewart
> disappeared.
> By Ryan Slight
>
>
> "We had different areas we wanted covered and this was one of them," Koop said.
> "We were just going from one to the next, and they got here and found her."
>
> The sheriff declined to comment on what type of condition the body was in, what
> wounds may have been found or other evidence officials discovered.
>
> The body was taken to Springfield, where Greene County medical examiners will
> conduct an autopsy.
>
> Ava police and Missouri Highway Patrol troopers have assisted the
> investigation, Koop said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was also
> contacted.
>
> Meanwhile, a city that came together to search for one of its vanished
> residents will mourn her loss.
>
> On the vacant downtown square, pictures of Stewart continued to hang in
> businesses closed for the weekend.
>
> In one open shop, a young girl solemnly took down Stewart's photos from a
> window.
>
> "This was devastating to a family," said volunteer Kenny Lee. "And to a whole
> school system."
>
>
> Maggie
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins
> to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
> - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
alexander...@gmail.com
> Springfield (MO) News Leader:
>
> May. 18, 2003
> Ava school counselor found dead by creek off Highway Y
> About 100 volunteers turned out to search the park where Kathy Stewart
> disappeared.
> By Ryan Slight
>
>
> "We had different areas we wanted covered and this was one of them," Koop said.
> "We were just going from one to the next, and they got here and found her."
>
> The sheriff declined to comment on what type of condition the body was in, what
> wounds may have been found or other evidence officials discovered.
>
> The body was taken to Springfield, where Greene County medical examiners will
> conduct an autopsy.
>
> Ava police and Missouri Highway Patrol troopers have assisted the
> investigation, Koop said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was also
> contacted.
>
> Meanwhile, a city that came together to search for one of its vanished
> residents will mourn her loss.
>
> On the vacant downtown square, pictures of Stewart continued to hang in
> businesses closed for the weekend.
>
> In one open shop, a young girl solemnly took down Stewart's photos from a
> window.
>
> "This was devastating to a family," said volunteer Kenny Lee. "And to a whole
> school system."
>
>
> Maggie
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins
> to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
> - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
