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A former principal at a Missouri Christian boarding school is accused of abusing a student

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A former principal at a Missouri Christian boarding school is accused of abusing a student


A former principal at a Christian boarding school in Missouri that closed in March amid abuse allegations has been charged with sex crimes involving a former student.

Craig Wesley Smith Jr. was charged by the prosecutor in Wayne County in September with forcible sodomy and attempted forcible rape, court records show. He is accused of forcing a teenage girl to perform sex acts in the late 2000s when she was a student at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Piedmont, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis.

A probable cause statement alleged that Smith told the girl he would kill her and “make it look like she committed suicide” if she told anyone.

Smith faces a hearing Thursday in Wayne County. Messages were left Tuesday with Smith and his attorney.

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ABM Ministries operated the school, which claimed success in helping students who were troubled, learning-impaired or dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or other disorders. Lighthouse Christian Academy closed after state criminal charges were filed against the husband-and-wife owners, Larry and Carmen Musgrave, along with a teacher, Caleb Sandoval.

The Musgraves were charged with first-degree kidnapping for allegedly locking a student in a room, but a Wayne County judge on Oct. 15 dismissed the charges. It wasn’t immediately clear why. Prosecuting Attorney Ginger Koller Joyner declined comment.

Sandoval was charged with abuse or neglect of a child, accused of injuring a 15-year-old boy while boxing. He pleaded guilty in July and was placed on probation for five years.

A federal lawsuit in 2009 accused Smith of sex acts with an unnamed female student. It wasn’t clear if it was the same girl cited in the criminal case. Court records show that ABM Ministries and the Musgraves agreed to pay $750,000 in a settlement, and Smith agreed to pay $100,000.

Other Christian boarding schools in Missouri have faced abuse allegations in both criminal charges and lawsuits.

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Agape Boarding School in Stockton closed in 2023 after years of investigations and allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Criminal cases are still pending against Agape’s longtime doctor, who is charged with several sex crimes.

Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch near Humansville closed in 2020. A former owner, Stephanie Householder, is scheduled to go to trial next year on child abuse counts. Her husband, Boyd Householder, was charged with nearly 80 counts of abuse but died in June.

The schools were unrelated and were not affiliated with any particular Christian denomination.

Abuse allegations at Agape and Circle of Hope prompted a state law in 2021 requiring stricter rules for such facilities. Missouri previously had virtually no oversight for religious boarding schools.



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Missouri

Lawsuit filed against Missouri City, police department details crash that killed mother, son

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Lawsuit filed against Missouri City, police department details crash that killed mother, son


MISSOURI CITY, Texas – The Missouri City police officer who was involved in a crash that killed a mother and son has now been indicted for his fault in the collision.

The family filed civil lawsuits against the city of Missouri and its police department in July for the deaths of Angela Stewart and her 16-year-old son, Mason Stewart in June.

On Wednesday, the former Missouri City police officer, 27-year-old Blademir Viveros, was indicted for manslaughter in connection with a crash that claimed the lives of the Stewarts.

BACKGROUND: Former Missouri City officer indicted for manslaughter following crash that killed mother and son

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The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the manslaughter charges following a grand jury’s decision.

Lawsuit details of crash

According to the lawsuit, Angela Stewart and Mason Stewart died because of the negligence and gross negligence of Vivero of the Missouri City Police Department.

On June 20, Angela and Mason Stewart were exiting the parking lot of the Dollar Tree store, located at 1681 Cartwright Road, at around 8:45 p.m.

READ: Mother, 16-year-old son killed in crash involving Missouri City PD officer have been identified

Upon exiting the parking lot, the vehicle the Stewarts were traveling in was struck by Viveros, who was in a 2021 marked Missouri City Police SUV.

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The lawsuit states that Viveros was negligently traveling at a high rate of speed, above the posted legal speed limit, and without emergency lights or sirens on. Because of his high speed, the impact of the collision reportedly caused the destroyed vehicles ended up roughly 300 feet away from the point of impact.

‘A cop killed him’: Family shares emotional response after mother, son were killed by Missouri City PD officer

As a result of the collision, Angela and Mason died.

READ: Robbery suspect arrested by Houston PD may also be linked to Missouri City chase that resulted in mother and son’s death

Read the full lawsuit below:

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Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.



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What Missouri Basketball is Getting in 4-Star Forward Nicholas Randall

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What Missouri Basketball is Getting in 4-Star Forward Nicholas Randall


Missouri basketball just picked up its second commitment of the 2025 class in composite 4-star forward Nicholas Randall.

A St. Louis native, Randall has been connected with head coach Dennis Gates and the Tigers for quite some time. His first On3 sports prediction was filed early in June of 2024 and Missouri was rumored to be the leader in his recruitment since that point.

Randall presents as a traditional, modern power forward with a high court-running motor that can score in the interior and rebound at a high level. If he can get stronger and develop his offensive skillset, the final result will be a developmental forward.

Here’s everything you need to know about the St. Louis native.

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The most growth Randall needs to show is offensively. He doesn’t have much of a jump shot yet and might not ever develop one. More than likely, Randall’s offensive production won’t be his calling card in his college and potential professional career.

Though his jump shot is inefficient, he still takes too many perimeter shots. He hasn’t done anything yet to deem those to be efficient, but that hasn’t stopped him from taking them. More than likely, Randall will not take a high volume of perimeter shots to start his college career. If he does and remains as inefficient as he’s been, that’s a one-way stop to reduced minutes.

What he will be known for is his ability to rebound the ball. Only standing at 6-foot-8, 230-pounds, he is certainly undersized for his position, but his knack for positioning and his use of his strength to get into those positions is his most valuable trait.

He might not look the biggest on tape, but Randall plays physically on both sides of the ball. He can body up defenders on offense, again fight for rebounding position and play physical defense.

Randall’s rebounding and defense are going to have to function at a high level in order for him to see the court early in his college career. If the development in the weight room comes along in the months leading up to his start with the Tigers, that might be a surefire way to see the court.

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As far as what Randall’s role looks like with the Tigers early on, depending on personnel, he may function best as a smaller center. He has the athleticism and motor to run the court consistently and not being a perimeter threat makes it harder to slot him anywhere else. The Tigers do have plenty of help, as of now, at the center position, which also makes it more of a challenge to envision where Randall will play.

Assuming the Tigers keep all its depth at the center position, developing and training consistency with Randall’s perimeter shot might be the next course of action if they want him to see the court. Gates and the Missouri coaching staff are known for wanting shooters at all five positions, even with his power forwards and centers. If Randall can’t shoot from the outside at all, it might make him a liability in Gates’ offense.

Even if Randall can’t have an efficient offensive game to start, he will be relied on to have a high motor on defense and secure a few rebounds per game. If those things don’t happen from the jump, his role and outlook with the Tigers could be foggy. In high school, for the most part, he’s been a player who excels at playing his role. That needs to continue for him to find success with the Tigers.

‘What Our Bond Should Be’: Dennis Gates Sets Two Missouri Guards Relationship as the Standard
How to Watch: Missouri Men’s Basketball Season-Opener at Memphis

Mizzou Basketball Grabs 2nd Commit of 2025 Class in St. Louis Forward

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Cold case cracked: DNA ties Missouri man to 24-year-old Tampa sexual assault case

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Cold case cracked: DNA ties Missouri man to 24-year-old Tampa sexual assault case


After 24 years of unanswered questions, a cold case of sexual assault in Tampa has led to the arrest of a 59-year-old man living in Missouri.

“Our Special Victims Section, with the help of modern technology, has brought closure to a victim who has waited for more than 20 years for answers. We hope this brings comfort and peace to the victim as she continues to heal,”said Sheriff Chad Chronister.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) stated that on March 7, 2000, deputies had responded to a report of a woman getting sexually assaulted after accepting a ride from a stranger.

After an investigation was launched, DNA evidence was collected, and all leads were exhausted, the case reportedly went cold.

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HCSO reported that in 2022, their Special Victims Section reopened the case using a DNA Grant and other resources.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement funded the genetic genealogy testing, resulting in detectives compiling a family tree related to the suspect.

See also:Busted: Nine ‘Johns’ nabbed in West Palm Beach prostitution sting

Officials stated that in August, detectives identified 59-year-old Walter Leon Rutherford Jr. as the possible suspect.

The investigation into Rutherford Jr. revealed that even though he has been living in Missouri since 2007, he had ties to being in Tampa in 2000.

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HCSO noted that they had worked with the Stone County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri to obtain a DNA sample from Rutherford Jr.

According to the report, in September, detectives compared Rutherford Jr.’s current DNA sample to the one collected from the crime scene 24 years ago and confirmed they matched.

Rutherford Jr. was taken into custody on October 28 and has been accused of two counts of sexual battery.

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