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Missouri residents say police dismissed reports of missing Black women, but a month later a woman says she was kidnapped and believes there were other victims | CNN

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Missouri residents say police dismissed reports of missing Black women, but a month later a woman says she was kidnapped and believes there were other victims | CNN




CNN
 — 

Weeks after residents of a Kansas Metropolis, Missouri neighborhood mentioned they complained to police that Black ladies had been lacking, authorities are going through group backlash after a Black girl says a White man held her captive.

A 22-year-old girl, recognized by police in courtroom in a possible trigger kind as T.J., escaped on Oct. 7 from the Excelsior Springs, Missouri, dwelling of Timothy Marrion Haslett, Jr. – a person whom she accuses of kidnapping and raping her after he “picked her up” in Kansas Metropolis in early September.

Excelsior Springs is a part of the Kansas Metropolis metropolitan space.

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“It was readily obvious that she had been held towards her will for a big time period,” Lt. Ryan Dowdy of the Excelsior Springs police informed reporters outdoors Haslett’s dwelling. He mentioned investigators are nonetheless processing proof taken from Haslett’s dwelling and that the investigation is ongoing.

Based on the possible trigger kind, T.J. mentioned she escaped from a room within the man’s basement. Haslett’s neighbors informed KMBC and KCTV that TJ went to a number of properties to hunt assist whereas Haslett took his little one to high school. T.J. additionally mentioned there have been different ladies, however police have discovered no proof of others thus far.

The lady’s escape comes weeks after group leaders mentioned they informed authorities that they believed a possible predator was concentrating on Black ladies within the Kansas Metropolis space. Authorities from the Kansas Metropolis Police Division initially known as the reviews of a serial killer concentrating on Black ladies “fully unfounded,” in response to an announcement printed by the Kansas Metropolis Star newspaper.

T.J. was carrying latex lingerie, a steel collar with a padlock, and had duct tape round her neck when she escaped, in response to the possible trigger kind.

Lisa Johnson, a neighbor of Haslett whom T.J. encountered throughout her escape, informed KMBC that T.J. feared Haslett would kill them if she known as the police. Johnson informed affiliate KCTV she known as police after TJ ran to a different dwelling for assist. Ciara Tharp informed CNN affiliate KCTV that her grandmother let T.J. in when she got here to her home for assist.

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Tharpe says as soon as her grandmother let T.J. inside, she mentioned that Haslett had kidnapped her and killed her buddies, in response to KCTV. The possible trigger kind identifies the lady who contacted police as Lisa Cashatt. Cadaver canines had been seen looking out Haslett’s yard, KMBC reviews, however investigators have but to search out different lacking folks within the man’s dwelling.

“We’ve no additional victims that we’re conscious of at this particular second in time,” Dowdy informed CNN affiliate KCTV. “She made point out of different victims, however there’s no indicators of them right now that we’ve discovered.”

Haslett was arrested on Oct. 7 and was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault. He’s being held on a $500,000 bond. His bail discount listening to was initially scheduled for Tuesday however has been postponed to Nov. 8 per his lawyer’s request. Haslett’s public defender informed CNN they don’t have any remark.

“We all know sure issues as a result of we’ve charged a person on this horrific crime however not at all do I do know all the small print,” Robert Sanders, Clay County, Missouri, Prosecuting Legal professional informed to CNN affiliate KMBC. “We want extra data.”

The Kansas Metropolis Police Division mentioned that “in September we had been made conscious of a social media publish claiming there had been 4 black ladies murdered in Kansas Metropolis and three black ladies lacking from eighty fifth Road/Prospect Avenue. To this point, we’ve had no reviews of lacking black females from that space.”

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“As a way to start a lacking individuals investigation, somebody would wish to file a report with our division figuring out the lacking celebration,” mentioned the Excelsior Springs Police Division in an announcement to CNN.

The division mentioned it has activated the Clay County Investigative Squad Process Drive, which incorporates members from different native regulation enforcement organizations, for its ongoing prison investigation.

However residents and lacking individuals advocates say T.J.’s account of what occurred to her, and Haslett’s arrest, underscore the indifference by some in regulation enforcement with regards to reviews of lacking Black folks.

Bishop Tony Caldwell was among the many group leaders who first raised issues about lacking Black ladies within the Kansas Metropolis space. Caldwell has been serving the group for years and mentioned that T.J.’s case is a part of a a lot bigger drawback of Black folks being kidnapped and written off by regulation enforcement.

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“If that younger girl wouldn’t have escaped, we wouldn’t be speaking in the present day,” Caldwell informed CNN. He mentioned that when household and buddies come ahead and inform authorities that their family members are lacking, they’re usually written off as ‘runaways’ and never taken significantly.

It’s unclear whether or not T.J. was ever reported lacking.

In response to the group members’ criticism, the Excelsior Springs Police Division additionally mentioned, “We’ve checked with regulation enforcement companies within the Kansas Metropolis metropolitan space and there are not any present lacking individuals reviews that correspond with the proof examined thus far on this investigation.”

Caldwell informed CNN that on Monday evening, Kansas Metropolis space group leaders met for 5 hours with residents to debate their anger concerning the case and what they understand as regulation enforcement’s indifference and the vulnerability of Black ladies and ladies. He informed CNN that about 50 folks attended the assembly.

He mentioned group leaders don’t need to be perceived as attacking the police. However extra vital to them than avoiding that notion is figuring out that their issues are taken significantly by regulation enforcement.

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“We want cooperation [from law enforcement] to get folks dwelling. We will argue over terminology all day lengthy, however we gotta get folks dwelling secure.”

Caldwell mentioned he and different group leaders’ issues had been dismissed by authorities once they initially alleged that younger ladies had been being kidnapped from Prospect Avenue, an space of Kansas Metropolis infamous for intercourse employees. Caldwell mentioned that many of the ladies working in that space are Black.

“They don’t speak to the police division as a result of the police by no means imagine them, or they imagine that the police aren’t gonna do something about it,” Caldwell informed CNN, including that police by no means go to Prospect Avenue to analyze lacking particular person reviews however as an alternative steadily go to the world to make arrests for prostitution.

Whereas TJ mentioned she was kidnapped by Haslett close to Prospect Avenue, CNN has not been in a position to confirm if she was a intercourse employee.

CNN reached out to the Kansas Metropolis Police Division for touch upon the group leaders’ issues.

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Caldwell says it’s time authorities take reviews of lacking ladies significantly, even when the particular person reporting it has restricted details about them.

“Folks use avenue names on a regular basis, and simply since you don’t have 99% of the details about an individual doesn’t imply that they’re nonetheless unfit of being appeared for,” Caldwell mentioned.

Derrica Wilson, co-founder and CEO of the Black and Lacking Basis, Inc., agreed with the sentiment that regulation enforcement isn’t taking these instances as significantly as they need to.

“Fairly frankly, there’s no sense of urgency find them, as a result of there’s the notion that they ran away. So, no matter occurs to her or him, they introduced it on themselves,” Wilson informed CNN.

“And when it’s adults, regulation enforcement likes to affiliate their disappearance with some form of prison exercise, and it actually desensitizes and dehumanizes the truth that these are moms, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters. They’re beneficial members of our group, they usually deserve the identical assets find them.”

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Regardless of solely making up 13% of america inhabitants, Black folks comprise 34% of lacking particular person instances in 2021, in response to the FBI’s Nationwide Crime Info Heart.



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Missouri

Mizzou ends inches away from Braggin' Rights win

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Mizzou ends inches away from Braggin' Rights win


Mizzou ends inches away from Braggin’ Rights win

ST. LOUIS – Down to the wire, the Missouri Tigers kept fighting.

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Missouri fell behind 10 late, but came back to take the lead and eventually tied the game again with a minute to play, but two final 3-pointers fell off the mark as the Illinois Fighting Illini won a new Braggin’ Rights classic in St. Louis on Sunday.

“It was a great atmosphere, both staffs, both coaches, I have tremendous respect for the program, but I wish we could have come away with a win,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. “It was a great NCAA Tournament atmosphere, that’s what it looked like to me.”

Neither team had a double-digit lead at any point until Kylan Boswell hit a couple of free throws with 6:33 left to create a 67-57 advantage.

Then the Tigers played with some chaos.

“Nobody does that better than Missouri,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said.

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Tamar Bates drove to hit a fading midrange jumper, then Tony Perkins grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled, which sent him to the line where he hit both shots.

Trent Pierce then grabbed a defensive board and flipped it ahead to Mark Mitchell who found Jacob Crews in the left corner for the Tigers’ second 3 of the game to cut the lead to 67-64 with 5:27 left.

Bates hit two more free throws, then forced a steal that led to a Pierce layup, giving the Tigers a 68-67 advantage with 4:13 left, their first lead since late in the first half.

“The thing we didn’t do is hang out head, and we kept fighting,” Gates said. “We kept our foot on the shovel and we kept digging. And that’s the sign of a good team.”

But the lead lasted about 18 seconds as Tre White hit a jumper to retake a 69-68 lead for the Illini.

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The Tigers would not lead again.

“We cut the lead two or three times … and each time, Illinois made a tough shot, made a tough shot, so they had timely execution,” Gates said. “… Sometimes players just make big plays and you can’t, can’t do nothing about it.”

But they would tie it again, first at 72 with 2:29 left, then at 75 with 1:14 to go and again at 77 with 45 seconds left.

But each time, the Illini hit the shot they needed, going up 75-72 on a Kasparas Jakucionis 3, then 77-75 on two Boswell free throws and taking the lead for good on a Jakucionis jumper with 28 seconds to play.

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With Illinois leading 79-77, the Tigers turned to Mitchell, who hit a late 3 in the Border War to hold off kansas’ charge and maintain Mizzou’s advantage, but this time, the shot was off and Boswell came down with the rebound.

A foul sent him to the line, where he made just one, leaving the lead at 3 with 8 seconds left.

The Tigers charged down the floor and gave an open look to Crews from the right wing, but it clanged off the back iron as time expired to give Illinois its second consecutive Braggin’ Rights win.

“I thought we had a great look, could have called timeout, but I wasn’t going to get an open shot, more open than what we got with two-versus-one against a set defense,” Gates said. “I trust our players and trust what they do, and ultimately, it was in and out.”

After consecutive blowouts in the St. Louis matchup the past three seasons and the most recent close game played in Columbia, the 2024 edition gave fans all the excitement they could hope for from the rivalry.

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“Missouri’s got unbelievable history, they’ve got unbelievable tradition,” Underwood said. “I, again, I have so much respect for programs that have that. Not everybody has that. … When you get those two teams together and you get them in the unique circumstances, you get a crowd like today.”

The Tigers jumped out to the game’s initial lead, going up 5-0 as Mitchell and Bates each hit a layup and Mitchell added a game-opening free throw, but the Illini fought back to tie at 7 and took Illinois’ first lead at 10-7 with 14:50 left in the first half.

The Illini held the lead through much of the first half, but the tigers chipped away with this season’s bread and butter, the free-throw line.

Two Perkins free throws cut the lead to 24-22, then Marques Warrick grabbed a defensive rebound and dished it ahead to Perkins for a transition dunk to tie the game at 24.

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A Mitchell free throw gave the Tigers the lead again at 25-24, then a Mitchell and-1 layup put the Tigers ahead 28-24 with 4:48 left before halftime as the Tigers attacked the paint again and again, scoring 34 points in the paint.

But as it did every time Missouri gained momentum, Illinois got the shots it needed. A jumper from Tre White and a second-chance jumper from Morez Johnson tied the game at 28, then Johnson added a layup before White hit two free throws to extend the lead to 32-28.

Mizzou came back to tie on a Mitchell layup and two free throws, but a five-point Illinois run ended the half with the Illini up 37-32.

“They ended the half with an unbelievable run in a minute and 30 seconds,” Gates said.

Illinois maintained a lead throughout most of the second half, building to the 10-point advantage late, but the physicality of the game got out of hand at points, helping lead to a combined 60 free throws and a rare Gates technical foul with 16:53 left.

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After a very physical sequence with bodies clanging together under the basket and Ant Robinson falling to the floor after trying to pass following a steal, Gates sprang onto the floor in the middle of the play and got in the face of the official, earning a technical that allowed Illinois to go up 42-34 after the two free throws.

“I didn’t mean to get a tech, but I had to,” Gates said. “I had to, I had to get a tech and our guys responded from that technical foul. Because if, if I did not get a technical foul on that, Lord knows what would have taken place the entire game. What I do know was right in front of me, Ant Robinson fell, I don’t think he fell on his own, but that was after a couple other situations that took place.”

Missouri (10-2) ends its winning streak at 10 games and will look to get back in the win column as it plays its final non-conference game following a break for Christmas. The Tigers will host Alabama State at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 30.

Hear directly from Dennis Gates, Tamar Bates and Tony Perkins

Stay up to date on all the Mizzou news with your premium subscription.

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Talk about this story in the story thread and discuss so much more in The Tiger Walk.

Make sure you’re caught up on all the Tiger news and headlines.



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Bombshell update in horrific decades-old cold case murder of Missouri teen

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Bombshell update in horrific decades-old cold case murder of Missouri teen


A woman’s ex-boyfriend has been arrested for her murder 32 years after she was found shot to death in her car in Missouri. 

Leon P. Lamb, 52, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the murder of Mischelle Lawless, who died at the age of 19 in November 1992. 

Lawless’ case was reopened in June 2023 and 18 months later, investigators gathered enough evidence to bring an indictment against Lamb. 

The ex-boyfriend was arrested in Conway, Arkansas, and is being held without bond. 

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He was the last person to see Lawless and the pair had an on-and-off-again relationship, according to The Standard-Democrat.  

Another man, Josh Kezer, was charged and convicted for the crime in 1994, but was later acquitted in 2009. 

He was convicted after Mark Abbott testified he saw Kezer at a payphone near the exit ramp. 

Several jailhouse witnesses also testified he had confessed to the murder at party, where Chantelle Crider, said she saw him arguing with Lawless the week before, according to Southeast Missourian. 

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Leon P. Lamb, 52, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the murder of Mischelle Lawless, who died at the age of 19 in November 1992. The ex-boyfriend was arrested in Conway, Arkansas , and is being held without bond

He was the last person to see Lawless and the pair had an on-and-off-again relationship

He was the last person to see Lawless and the pair had an on-and-off-again relationship

After Kezer’s exoneration, Abbott’s name was pushed forward as a suspect, as people said he had confessed to the murder, with one witness saying he told him: ‘I took care of that bitch.’ 

Lamb was also a suspect early on as his DNA was found underneath her nails, but he told investigator the pair had sex and she had scratched his back, according to the outlet. 

He also told investigator that Lawless had left his house in a good mood before she was found dead off the highway exit. 

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Lamb also passed a polygraph test, according to Southeast Missourian.  

Allen Moss was named special prosecutor of the case last year, and he brought investigator David James out of retirement to help him find Lawless’ killer, he told KFVS 12 at the time. 

Neither had any ties to the case when they started, but were certain they’d find who they were looking for among the thousands of pages in the teen’s case file. 

Lawless had been out with friends in Sikeston on November 7, 1992 and she never made it home. 

She was found by a couple driving of I-55. Off an exit ramp, sat her red car with the engine still running and the lights on near the guardrail. 

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Lamb was a suspect early on as his DNA was found underneath her nails, but he told investigator the pair had sex and she had scratched his back

Lamb was a suspect early on as his DNA was found underneath her nails, but he told investigator the pair had sex and she had scratched his back

She was found by a couple driving of I-55. Off an exit ramp, sat her red car with the engine still running and the lights on near the guardrail

She was found by a couple driving of I-55. Off an exit ramp, sat her red car with the engine still running and the lights on near the guardrail

Deputies arrived around 1:30am and found Lawless' body in the car. Blood was found on the guardrail (pictured)

Deputies arrived around 1:30am and found Lawless’ body in the car. Blood was found on the guardrail (pictured) 

Allen Moss (right) was named special prosecutor of the case last year and he brought investigator David James (left) out of retirement to help him find Lawless' killer

Allen Moss (right) was named special prosecutor of the case last year and he brought investigator David James (left) out of retirement to help him find Lawless’ killer

Deputies arrived around 1:30am and found Lawless’ body in the car. 

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‘And it looked like there had been a confrontation at the car of some sort,’ James said in 2023. ‘Her window was down on her car partially. And they found evidence of blood on the guardrail.

‘There’s blood on the ground. And so it looked like and appeared that there was a struggle of some sort that either started at the car or ended at the car. 

‘But somehow or another she was over the guardrail and down the embankment. She ends up back in the car. And once inside the car, she is shot several times.’ 

Early on in the reinvestigation, James visited Lawless’ grave to talk to her, where he told the dead teen that he was ‘sorry’ for what happened to her and that he was ‘here to try and find out what happened.’ 



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Illinois vs. Missouri Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Sunday, December 22

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Illinois vs. Missouri Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Sunday, December 22


Illinois and Missouri meet in a semi-neutral floor meeting on Sunday with each team looking for a strong non-conference victory. 

The Tigers are enjoying a bounceback campaign this season that already features a win against Kansas. Can the team score another victory against a team with Final Four aspirations in Illinois? The Fighting Illini have thrived on the defensive end, but are still searching for consistency on offense around star freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis. Can the team find it against Missouri? 

Here’s our betting preview. 

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Moneyline

Total: 154.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Illinois

Kasparas Jakucionis: The 6’6” point guard has thrived to start his college career, averaging 16 points, six rebounds and nearly six assists per game. Jakucionis is a deft three-point shooter as well, hitting 42% of his threes for the perimeter oriented Fighting Illini offense. 

Missouri

Mark Mitchell: The Duke transfer has thrived in the new setting, averaging 13 points with five rebounds per game while also providing strong defense as an interior presence with more than a block per game to go with a steal.

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Missouri’s heavy ball pressure defense will be a test for Jakucionis, who does have a near-27% turnover rate, but overall this Illinois offense rates out as a strong unit at protecting the ball, ranking top 60 in turnover rate. 

With the Tigers aggressive defense, it is vulnerable to letting up second chances, bottom 30 in the country in defensive rebounding rate, which is impactful with the Illinois’ offense elite at generating offensive rebounds, top 30 in the nation. 

Missouri’s defense is a bit of a boom-or-bust unit, and I also believe the offense is due to regress after starting the season posting a top three effective field goal percentage in the country at nearly 60% while posting a top three free throw rate. 

Illinois’ defense has a ton of length and shuts off the perimeter for opponents, allowing a bottom 40 three-point rate while ranking top five in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

This may be an up-and-down affair, but I like this matchup for Illinois to hand Missouri a well overdue loss. 

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PICK: Illinois -3.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.



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