Deputies recognized for pulling fingerprints that led to arrests

June 17, 2015
Charlea Mills
Two Barry County Deputies were recognized by Sheriff Mick Epperly for their work leading to the arrests of suspects in two burglary cases.
Deputies Angela Cole and Bill Watkins were each commended for pulling fingerprints from two different crime scenes that, once analyzed, led to charges against four different suspects. Epperly said, “I’m just proud of the two. One of the steps is getting anything you can, and it makes cases a lot easier with fingerprint and DNA matches.”
Deputy Cole investigated a report on May 12 of this year where a quarter of a million dollars worth of jewelry was stolen from a residence in Washburn. When Cole arrived at the scene on Highway 37, she located a fingerprint on the back storm door.
After sending the fingerprint to be analyzed in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), the department received information back on June 8 that matched a suspect already in custody in Iowa.
Gregory Wayne Myers, 56, of Davenport, Iowa, was charged with class C felony burglary in the second degree and class B stealing. Myers is currently in jail in Muscatine County, Iowa, on similar charges.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, some jewelry has already been identified at various pawn shops.
Epperly said, “We will be getting Myers back here when they are done with him, but I want to recognize the officer for outstanding work on that fingerprint.”
After Cole’s initial report, Detectives Rob Evenson and Doug Henry have been working on the case and locating the jewelry that Myers allegedly pawed after the burglary. Epperly said, “He’s pawned a lot of stuff along the way, and we’re in recovery now. He had jewelry on him at the time of his arrest as well as in a briefcase. We’ve already got some pictures on that and the detectives are analyzing those.”
Deputy Watkins also pulled a fingerprint that led to arrests and charges filed against three different people from out of state. On October 5, 2014, Watkins was dispatched to a crime scene between Washburn and Seligman for a burglary. According to the affidavit of probable cause, entry was made by cutting a window screen. Once inside, jewelry totalling $8,316.60 and a Beretta .25 caliber pistol were stolen from the home.
During his investigation, Watkins found three fingerprints at the scene that were then submitted to the Missouri Crime Lab in Carthage. On December 19, 2014, the prints matched to Jeffrey Allen Mounts, 23, of Huntington, Va.
Once the investigation was complete, Mounts, Charlene Hayes, 46, Sweetwater, Tenn., and James Wagner, 51, of Madisonville, Tenn. were all arrested for the burglary. Mounts was charged with stealing and burglary in the first degree. Hayes and Wagner were each charged with stealing and burglary in the second degree.
Epperly said, “I don’t think they would have been solved without the fingerprints the deputies found.”
Charlea Mills
Two Barry County Deputies were recognized by Sheriff Mick Epperly for their work leading to the arrests of suspects in two burglary cases.
Deputies Angela Cole and Bill Watkins were each commended for pulling fingerprints from two different crime scenes that, once analyzed, led to charges against four different suspects. Epperly said, “I’m just proud of the two. One of the steps is getting anything you can, and it makes cases a lot easier with fingerprint and DNA matches.”
Deputy Cole investigated a report on May 12 of this year where a quarter of a million dollars worth of jewelry was stolen from a residence in Washburn. When Cole arrived at the scene on Highway 37, she located a fingerprint on the back storm door.
After sending the fingerprint to be analyzed in the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), the department received information back on June 8 that matched a suspect already in custody in Iowa.
Gregory Wayne Myers, 56, of Davenport, Iowa, was charged with class C felony burglary in the second degree and class B stealing. Myers is currently in jail in Muscatine County, Iowa, on similar charges.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, some jewelry has already been identified at various pawn shops.
Epperly said, “We will be getting Myers back here when they are done with him, but I want to recognize the officer for outstanding work on that fingerprint.”
After Cole’s initial report, Detectives Rob Evenson and Doug Henry have been working on the case and locating the jewelry that Myers allegedly pawed after the burglary. Epperly said, “He’s pawned a lot of stuff along the way, and we’re in recovery now. He had jewelry on him at the time of his arrest as well as in a briefcase. We’ve already got some pictures on that and the detectives are analyzing those.”
Deputy Watkins also pulled a fingerprint that led to arrests and charges filed against three different people from out of state. On October 5, 2014, Watkins was dispatched to a crime scene between Washburn and Seligman for a burglary. According to the affidavit of probable cause, entry was made by cutting a window screen. Once inside, jewelry totalling $8,316.60 and a Beretta .25 caliber pistol were stolen from the home.
During his investigation, Watkins found three fingerprints at the scene that were then submitted to the Missouri Crime Lab in Carthage. On December 19, 2014, the prints matched to Jeffrey Allen Mounts, 23, of Huntington, Va.
Once the investigation was complete, Mounts, Charlene Hayes, 46, Sweetwater, Tenn., and James Wagner, 51, of Madisonville, Tenn. were all arrested for the burglary. Mounts was charged with stealing and burglary in the first degree. Hayes and Wagner were each charged with stealing and burglary in the second degree.
Epperly said, “I don’t think they would have been solved without the fingerprints the deputies found.”