In the report, investigators claimed they found the explosive device in a mortar tube with a balloon cover, which featured tripwires. On Wednesday, the Dallas County Sheriffs Department announced the murder charges against Timothy Norton, 56, and James Phelps, 58, in a statement on Facebook, and court documents reveal new disturbing details of the case. Nov 17, 2021 Updated Dec 12, 2022. Human Remains Found in Freezer in Case that Fueled TikTok Rumors Phelps will appear in court Friday. Prior to the request, a preliminary hearing in Phelps case was scheduled for Nov. 5. Rainwater, 33, was reported missing on Aug. 26, 2021, after having last been seen in mid-July. However, if anyone has new information concerning the case of her death or disappearance, they are encouraged to contact the Dallas County Sheriffs Office at 417-345-2441. Norton said he held Rainwater down while Phelps put a plastic bag over her head and strangled her, according to Rice. Cassidy Rainwater, Missing Missouri Woman, Was Killed in Windyville by BUFFALO, Mo. One of the two men charged in the Dallas County kidnapping and death of Cassidy Rainwater entered an Alford plea on Friday and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. KOLR-TV is in contact with local authorities daily, but they are not releasing much information. In a September announcement of Phelps arrest, Sheriff Scott Rice had said, Due to the extreme nature of the, In the weeks following the arrest, rumors spread on, trespass, litter, vandalize, harass, or destroy property., In another strange development, on Oct. 4, a, started at Phelps property where Rainwaters remains were found burned the house to the ground. A woman who knew Rainwater personally and knows of the suspects spoke with KY3 on the condition of anonymity. Body parts found in a freezer in Missouri identified Cassidy Rainwater Cassidy Rainwater's remains were found labeled "7-24" in a freezer. Details about the death of a 33-year-old woman whose remains were discovered in a freezer have been revealed, a month after authorities asked online sleuths to stop speculating about her disappearance. Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice initially said it could be at least 30 days before any results are returned. A family member contacted the Dallas County Sheriffs Office saying they had not seen Rainwater or heard from her for an unspecified amount of time. When investigators searched Phelps property, court documents say they found Rainwaters remains in a deep freezer in packages labeled 7-24, the last day Rainwater is believed to be alive. Police found some inaccuracies in his story. Laura Bauer came to The Star in 2005 after spending much of her life in southwest Missouri. At one point, a Dallas County deputy found something that resembled a tripwire; thats when the Springfield bomb squad was sent to investigate. The crime scene was investigated for seven days in mid-September, and according to the Sheriffs Office, investigators collected the gantry device, cage, and "items from the freezer that appeared to be human flesh with a date written on them of 7-24.". During the investigation, detectives identified Timothy Norton as being connected to the case. Remains discovered in an adjacent backyard were also found to be from Ms Rainwater after investigation work in September, as did the FBI find messages between the pair appearing to plan her death. Sheriff Rice said Phelps were classmates in school and friends for several decades. According to court records, Norton was originally interviewed on Sept. 19 and after his interview, officers determined he had provided information that was not accurate. He had spoken to a detective previously on Sept. 1, 2021, and reportedly said that Cassidy was staying with him until she could make it on her own and mentioned going to Colorado. Digital. Missing Mo. Woman Cassidy Rainwater Was Kept in Cage Before Brutal The Dallas County Sheriffs Office has now revealed that the cage was the least of Rainwaters torment: She was strangled by the two men before being gutted and dismembered, according to the officials. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. The woman was described as sleeping when the attack took place. During the investigation, detectives identified Timothy Norton as being connected to the case. One of two southwest Missouri men charged in the gruesome killing of a woman who authorities say was kept in a cage entered a plea on Friday. Rumors : r/cassidyrainwater - Reddit Two men are charged with her murder after photos showed her evisceration and dismemberment. 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During that interview, police said Norton confessed that he knew Cassidy Rainwater was being held at the home of James Phelps in a cage. Dallas County authorities said James Phelps and Timothy Norton kidnapped Ms Rainwater around the time of her disappearance, allegedly forcing her into a cage. A judge approved the request one day later, per court records. The investigation remains ongoing. Two men are charged with her murder after photos showed her evisceration and dismemberment By Andrea Marks November 18,. On Sept. 16, an FBI agent in Kansas City contacted detectives in the Sheriff's Department after receiving an anonymous tip about photos that allegedly showed Rainwater being held in a cage, reported CBS affiliate KFVS in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Cassidy Rainwater's remains were found labeled "7-24" in a freezer. James Phelps, 58, and Timothy Norton, 56, have been . Authorities later learned that she was talking about James Phelps. Two weeks ago, FBI investigators from Kansas City got an anonymous tip that someone was holding Rainwater in a cage on some property near Lebanon. The home in Missouri where a man is accused of holding missing woman Cassidy Rainwater captive in a cage has burned down as he waits for trial in jail. Sheriffs officials have said that Phelps said he did but that he hadnt spoken to her in roughly a month. KOLR-TV was in the courtroom Tuesday, and a judge set preliminary hearings for both men at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 5. Some of the woman's body parts were later found in a freezer, he said. Authorities say remains found at the southwest Missouri home were those of a missing woman, 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater. Investigators found them. Cassidy Rainwater's remains found on accused kidnappers' property in He wrote: While I understand the impatience and curiosity of the people, Im going to give you a piece of advice. MO woman allegedly kidnapped attended Harrisonville High | The Kansas Court documents accuse Phelps and Norton of holding Cassidy Rainwater in a cage on Moon Valley Road near Windyville, Missouri. A trial date had not been set. Two men charged in September with felony kidnapping have now been charged with murder in the missing persons case of Cassidy Rainwater, a Missouri woman who appeared caged and partially nude in photos sent to the FBI. On Sept. 16, the FBI contacted Dallas County detectives with the photographs. News of the positive identification was accompanied by the release of sickening new details concerning the kidnapping victim's death, including how the 33-year-old woman was strangled to death, strapped to a crane, eviscerated and cut into pieces, according to authorities. A missing persons case in southwest Missouri has shaken three counties to their core after the two men involved in Cassidy Rainwater's kidnapping were arrested in Lebanon. 24. Phelps and Norton were arrested in September 2021 after authorities say they obtained photos of Rainwater in a cage on Phelps property, as well as photos of Rainwater being dismembered and eviscerated. Investigators say DNA testing identified her remains. Norton is scheduled to appear in Nov. 23 and Phelps on Nov. 19. Dallas County Sheriff's Office Detectives then identified. On Aug. 25, police spoke to Phelps, who allegedly claimed Rainwater had been staying with him temporarily, and then one night, left likely for Colorado. In a Springfield Bomb Squad report, investigators said they found an incendiary device during a fire at the home connected to James Phelps. The new charges come after remains recovered at Phelps property just days after his arrest were positively identified as Rainwaters. When police visited Phelps property, they found the same scene from the photographs provided by the FBI, according to an affidavit by Dallas County Sheriffs Department Sergeant Robby Simmons. 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Preliminary hearings for Phelps and Norton, originally set for the first week of February, have been postponed. 2 Missouri Men Charged After Allegedly Kidnapping 33-Year-Old Woman and Keeping Her in a Cage, Inside the Phone Call Between Lori Vallow Daybell and Husband as Police Searched for Kids' Remains, Man Allegedly Killed Wanted Suspect in His Mother's Murder Before He Could Be Found by Police, Husband Who Allegedly Searched 'How Long Before a Body Starts to Smell' Indicted on Accusation He Killed Wife, Family Says Black Man Was Found Decapitated in Mississippi, Believes He Was Targeted by 'Lynch Mob', Wisconsin Woman Charged in 2022 Dismemberment Case Attacks Attorney at Competency Hearing, Washington, D.C., Police Sergeant Charged with Murder in Fatal Shooting of Man Asleep in Car, Texas Mom Allegedly Stabs 4-Year-Old Son to Death in Front of Her Mother; Both Women Charged, Missing Woman Found Possibly Dismembered in Texas; Suspect Allegedly Searched 'How to Be a Serial Killer', Dismembered Remains of N.C. 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On Wednesday, the Dallas County Sheriffs Department announced the murder charges. He noted there is a lot of misinformation circulating in the case. James Phelps . It was not immediately clear if Phelps had an attorney. Norton then admitted that after arriving at Phelps home he did physically confine CR by holding her down for a substantial period of time, for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a felony, or inflicting physical injury on, or terrorizing CR, the document said. The tip the FBI received was titled Cassidy. Phelps and Timothy Norton, both of Dallas County, were charged in September 2021 with kidnapping the 33-year-old woman and facilitating a felony, inflicting injury and terrorizing. A lawyer for Norton previously denied the kidnapping allegations and could not be reached on Thursday for comment on the murder charges. Attorneys have scheduled preliminary hearings for the two men charged with killing Dallas County woman, Cassidy Rainwater.. James Phelps appeared via video in Dallas County court on Friday morning as attorneys set the date for his preliminary hearing, where it will be determined if the state has enough evidence to move ahead in charging Phelps with first-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse . Deputies went to Phelps home at 386 Moon Valley Road near Windyville and asked if he knew Rainwater. Phelps and Norton have been jailed on a kidnapping charge since mid-September, when photos of Rainwater partially nude and confined to a cage were found on Phelps' phone, authorities said. James David Phelps, 58, told investigators that he was helping the 33-year-old woman "get back on her feet" and that she had been living in the loft area of his cabin at 386 Moon Valley Road. Nearly four months after Cassidy Rainwater went missing, the Dallas County prosecutor officially upgraded charges against Phelps and Norton. Court documents reveal missing Dallas County woman was staying with It was unclear Thursday if either man had gone before a judge to plead to the new murder charge. On Sept. 16, 2021, the Dallas County Sheriffs Office received intel from the FBI that led them to James Phelps' property in Windyville. In another strange development, on Oct. 4, a fire started at Phelps property where Rainwaters remains were found burned the house to the ground. In September of 2021, Phelps was arrested after law enforcement received images that showed Rainwater in a cage and bound to a . On Monday, the Dallas County Sheriffs Officereleased a statement on Facebookstating that the FBI has recovered several items that will be used to further the investigation. She said she cant wrap her head around all of this. She would stop by, and she would talk to us when we were outside working. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. When investigators searched Phelps' property, court documents say they found Rainwater's remains in a deep freezer in packages labeled 7-24, the last day Rainwater is believed to be alive.. Phelps is scheduled to be back in court May 19, while Norton is scheduled to be back in court May 2. Authorities arrested Phelps and then found the slew of evidence on his property that was revealed by the sheriffs office on Wednesday. Cassidy Rainwater's remains were recently identified. The remarks followed a fire at the home of Mr Phelps in October, with investigators finding tripwires at the property. He can fix it, Mtley Cre let out their Wild Side rocking NFL Draft stage in Kansas City, NFL executive thanks KC for hosting Draft, says attendance slightly exceeded projection, Photos: Travis Kelce, Machine Gun Kelly, a smashed Super Bowl trophy. According to the Sheriffs Office, Norton was interviewed on Sept. 20, and eventually confessed to the murder of Rainwater. This was less than 24 hours after the home where Phelps was staying burned to the ground. Rainwater has ties to the Kansas City area. Porter anticipated Phelps' trial would occur in the summer of 2025, which would be four years after Rainwater's death. Murder charges have been filed in Missouri against two men accused of killing and dismembering Cassidy Rainwater. Investigators with the Missouri State Fire Marshals Office concluded that an Oct. 4 house fire at the center of a kidnapping case in Dallas County was a result of arson. The Springfield bomb squad arrived at the scene and detonated an explosive device near the fire. At the time he told investigators he had not seen. "Norton stated, after entering the house, he held Cassidy's legs down while Phelps strangled her and placed a bag over her head. Investigators determined it to be arson. . They had previously been charged with kidnapping. Terry told authorities that the last time Rainwater was seen was about six weeks earlier and she believed that a James Rainwater was the last person to see her. Ive been incredibly unsettled since the whole Menagerie started, she said. Dallas County land records show that the Rainwater family still owns land that surrounds the unsecured crime scene. An . It is not a good idea to listen to a crime reporter/blogger or Tik Tok videos. Due to the nature of the plea, there was no criminal trial. When police followed up on this. Phelps' trial moved to Jasper County in case of Rainwater death Man charged in Cassidy Rainwater death enters plea, is sentenced to Rachel Nicholson, who moved to Lebanon recently, said she saw the home go up in flames from a distance. A woman whose remains were found in September was kept in a cage before being murdered, eviscerated, and dismembered, according murder charges filed against two Missouri men. Police had found her remains in a freezer in September, and according to reports, in containers that were labelled with the date 7/24, and which later matched DNA for Ms Rainwater. There are as many as 23 remains being looked into. Cassidy Rainwater's remains found on accused kidnappers' property in Missouri, court docs reveal During a search, investigators on the scene of the Moon Valley Road property found the. Per court records, that is when he admitted details to authorities about restraining Rainwater back in July. If these people have committed such horrible crimes as they are accused, I hope the legal system prosecutes them to the fullest extent, said the woman. Cassidy Rainwater case: Suspect makes plea, gets life in prison Men arrested for 'keeping partially-nude woman locked in a cage at On Sept. 16, investigators received a search warrant for James Phelps' cell phone, and court records say they found seven photos of Cassidy Rainwater partially nude being held in a cage on his . The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. Man Accused of Killing, Dismembering a Mother of 2 Who'd Recently Moved in with Him. Cassidy Rainwater's remains found on accused kidnappers' property in Missouri, court docs reveal During a search, investigators on the scene of the Moon Valley Road property found the. Im continuing to pray for her family. 16:05 BST 18 Nov 2021 Investigators confirmed they were waiting for DNA evidence to return in the disappearance of Cassidy Rainwater. 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. Missouri Mystery Over Cassidy Rainwater, Missing Woman Shown in a Cage Mr Phelps and Mr Norton, who are due to appear in court, had already been charged with kidnapping before being issued with higher charges on Wednesday. According to the Kansas City Star, the kidnapping charge was upgraded on Wednesday to first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. A home belonging to James Phelps. Very few details on this case have been released by the Dallas County Sheriffs Office, including whether Cassidy Rainwater has been found. Privacy Policy | Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Missouri men accused of keeping missing woman in cage: records It remains unclear if Mr Phelps, who is due in court next week, has a lawyer. Geo resource failed to load. Whether its a short vacation or theyre jetting off to begin their career, show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift. The Ozarks home where 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater was allegedly kept in captivity burned to the ground after authorities found a tripwire and a "live incendiary device." Authorities say they have no reason to believe there are any other victims associated with Phelps and Norton at this time.. After tests confirmed that the labeled remains found in a freezer inside Phelps rented home were Rainwaters, the charges were upgraded to murder several weeks later. Meanwhile, investigators returned to the scene of the fire during daylight hours to analyze the area.