Warner Bros. Entertainment | Deputies went to Phelps home at 386 Moon Valley Road near Windyville and asked if he knew Rainwater. A judge approved the request one day later, per court records. An amended criminal complaint shows the two men each still face a kidnapping charge as well as a felony count of abandonment of a corpse, saying they knowingly disposed of the corpse of Cassidy Rainwater at or near Phelps property without notifying authorities. She wasnt reported missing to authorities until nearly one month later. That man, James Phelps, had initially been arrested and charged with kidnapping Rainwater in September, along with another man named Timothy Norton, a trucker who had been living on Phelps property. 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Cassidy Rainwater's remains were recently identified. The investigation remains ongoing. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. They had previously been charged with kidnapping. KOLR-TV is in contact with local authorities daily, but they are not releasing much information. They allegedly recovered messages between Phelps and Norton planning Rainwaters murder on Jul. Those items were dated July 24. 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(KY3) - One of two men accused of kidnapping and killing Cassidy Rainwater in Dallas County entered an Alford plea for first-degree murder. Norton was interviewed again on Sept. 20 at the Dallas County Sheriffs Office. Admonishing true crime fans who were sitting in their apartment or their mommy and daddys basement eating Great Value cheese puffs and drinking box wine, he went on to say that the public should stop hanging on very word is this type of crap. Federal investigators said no one has seen Cassidy Rainwater since July. A report, first obtained by local news outlet, Murder Charges Filed, Human Remains Found in Missouri Case That Fueled Gruesome TikTok Rumors, It Is Easy for a Person to Disappear: Accused Murderer Suggests Missing Wife Ran Away, E. 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Some skeletal remains believed to be Rainwater were located on the adjacent property, authorities said. At one point, a Dallas County deputy found something that resembled a tripwire; thats when the Springfield bomb squad was sent to investigate. Mr Norton will reportedly plead not guilty and appear in court on Friday, after admitting that he strangled Ms Rainwater, according to Fox4. Norton is scheduled to appear in Nov. 23 and Phelps on Nov. 19. Police note that their investigation into Rainwater's murder continues, and asks that anyone who believes they may information concerning this case call the Dallas County Sheriff's Office at 417-345-2441. During the hearing, prosecutors asked for 45 days until the preliminary hearing due to the number of witnesses needed. On the night of Oct. 4, a day before Phelps and Norton were scheduled to appear in court, Phelps' home burned to the ground. According to court records, attorneys for Norton filed a motion to address his bond and possibly seek a release from jail, though the motion was not approved. Here is the most recent timeline of events in Rainwaters death, disappearance and confirmed information in the investigation: This was the last day anyone, including family members, reported seeing Cassidy Rainwater. The Springfield Bomb Squad removed the device without any injuries to those handling the device. Phelps, 60, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse in the case of 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater. 2 killed, 4 wounded in Mississippi shooting; man arrested, 150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation's worst, Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to 'shut down the FBI' and replace it with something that sounds a lot like the FBI, Sanders: Biden could win in a landslide, Sunny Hostin Responded To Meghan McCain's Recent Scathing Criticism Of "The View" And Thinks She'd Be Great For "Housewives", Possible tornado damage in Fort Hood, Texas, Colts chart new QB path with 1st-round pick Richardson. Phelps entered an Alford plea, a type of guilty plea in which a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a conviction. It was not immediately clear if Phelps had an attorney. The Sheriffs Office said Norton told FBI agents that Phelps asked him to come over to his home, and he held Cassidys legs down as "Phelps strangled her and placed a bag over her head" before bounding Rainwater to the gantry crane where they started the "evisceration and dismemberment of Cassidys body.". DALLAS COUNTY, Mo. Prosecutors previously charged Phelps and Norton with kidnapping over the disappearance of Rainwater in mid-September, following an FBI tip that led to their arrests. After she was dead, he said, theyd taken her outside and bound her to the gantry crane, where Phelps began eviscerating and dismembering her. His attorneys said they will ask a judge to set a bond. KY3 spoke to a woman who lives near the home. "Norton stated that Phelps bound her to the gantry crane and Phelps began evisceration and dismemberment of Cassidy's body. Dallas County Judge Jill Porter sentenced Phelps to life in prison without parole. An amended criminal complaint shows the two men each still face a kidnapping charge as well as a felony count of abandonment of a corpse, saying they knowingly disposed of the corpse of Cassidy Rainwater at or near Phelps property without notifying authorities. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Fire crews from multiple stations were working to put out hotspots. Missing NC woman found dead in woods, police begin homicide investigation Someone reported her missing on Aug. 25. James Phelps and Timothy Norton appeared in court Tuesday. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Authorities searched the area to figure out how the fire started and if there could be more tripwires than one spotted near the home. And some say to the community. He said that Cassidy had been staying with him until she could get back on her feet, court records say. Phelps then said that Rainwater had been staying with him until she could get back on her feet, according to the probable-cause statement related to the initial charges filed against Phelps. Cassidy Rainwater (Dallas County Sheriff's Office) Some of Rainwater's remains were found in an adjacent property and in a freezer with "7-24" written on them, authorities said. Police say the 33-year-olds remains were found in a freezer at the home of one of the men accused of kidnapping her in Windyville, an unincorporated Ozarks community about 160 miles from Kansas City. Terms of Use | **DISCLAIMER - Some people may find further details in this story to be disturbing.**. Man Accused of Killing, Dismembering a Mother of 2 Who'd Recently Moved in with Him. Phelps was arrested and sent to the Dallas County Jail, where he is currently in custody. A report, first obtained by local news outlet Ozarks First from the Springfield Fire Department showed the bomb squad had been called in and found an incendiary device in a mortar tube with an attached trip wire. A representative for the states Division of Fire Safety, which helped investigate the cause of the fire, said the agency provided its report to authorities but cannot comment on the findings because its part of an investigation. The case had already taken a very dark turn in September, when details trickled out about Rainwater being held captive and semi-naked in a cage on Phelps property. When police followed up on this tip, they found seven photos on Phelps phone that led to his arrest. The new charges come after remains recovered at Phelps property just days after his arrest were positively identified as Rainwaters. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Court documents accuse Phelps and Norton of holding Cassidy Rainwater in a cage on Moon Valley Road near Windyville, Missouri.