Holmes sentenced to prison after damaging historic cemetery
September 23, 2021
On October 15, 2020, a motor home was being driven on Indian Valley Road in northern Stone County. A man driving on the road observed the vehicle to be traveling at a high rate of speed. He said that the driver then apparently lost control of the vehicle as it left the roadway, went through a historic cemetery located there striking and damaging several head stones, and finally stopped when it crashed into a tree. The other driver and the owner of the cemetery property both saw a male, the driver, and a female carrying a baby leave the motor home. Law enforcement was notified.
Trooper Rickman, from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, was dispatched to the scene and made contact with the witnesses. They described what they had observed, gave a description of the man and woman who left the motor home, and told the Trooper that the motor home had been seen parked at a nearby residence for the past few days. Rickman then talked to that home owner who told him that the driver’s name was Levi, gave a description that matched what the other witnesses had described, and said that “Levi” had parked at his residence while doing some work. He further stated that Levi and the woman had walked back to his home earlier that day, said that they had been in a wreck, and then left.
Rickman then returned to the motor home and searched it prior to having it towed. In the vehicle he located a wallet that contained the driver’s license of Levi Holmes, born January 28, 1979. The witnesses identified Holmes as the driver of the motor home by the photo on the driver’s license. During his search of the vehicle officer Rickman also located and seized several items of drug paraphernalia. These items were sent to the Missouri State Crime Lab where they were eventually tested and found to contain methamphetamine.
The owner of the cemetery reported that the monetary damage to the cemetery exceeded $3,000 but that some of the headstones dated back to the eighteen hundreds and could never really be replaced. One was the graves was that of a civil war veteran.
When the investigation was completed, the reports were submitted to the Stone County Prosecutor’s office. Based on the information described, Prosecutor Matt Selby filed felony charges on Homes for possessing methamphetamine and leaving the scene of an accident. Warrants were issued and the defendant was finally arrested in August of this year. When he appeared in court he admitted that he was responsible for what happened and wanted to plead guilty.
On September 9, 2021, the defendant did indeed plead guilty in court and was sentenced to five years in prison by Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship.
“This was a case where a defendant might typically have been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution,” said Selby, “however, this defendant has a criminal history, has had chances at probation, and continues to commit crimes. It was time for him to go to prison so that he doesn’t continue to harm others.” The prosecutor further stated that “thanks to the observations and cooperation of the witnesses, the officer was able to identify the defendant and put together a strong case against the defendant which led to his ultimate arrest and conviction.
Selby stated that there have been several other felony cases disposed of so far this month including Jordan Connelly who was sentenced to ten years in prison on several probation violations, Tim Burgtorff and Sandi Burket who received prison sentences for drug offenses, and ten or twelve other cases that resulted in probation or drug court.
Trooper Rickman, from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, was dispatched to the scene and made contact with the witnesses. They described what they had observed, gave a description of the man and woman who left the motor home, and told the Trooper that the motor home had been seen parked at a nearby residence for the past few days. Rickman then talked to that home owner who told him that the driver’s name was Levi, gave a description that matched what the other witnesses had described, and said that “Levi” had parked at his residence while doing some work. He further stated that Levi and the woman had walked back to his home earlier that day, said that they had been in a wreck, and then left.
Rickman then returned to the motor home and searched it prior to having it towed. In the vehicle he located a wallet that contained the driver’s license of Levi Holmes, born January 28, 1979. The witnesses identified Holmes as the driver of the motor home by the photo on the driver’s license. During his search of the vehicle officer Rickman also located and seized several items of drug paraphernalia. These items were sent to the Missouri State Crime Lab where they were eventually tested and found to contain methamphetamine.
The owner of the cemetery reported that the monetary damage to the cemetery exceeded $3,000 but that some of the headstones dated back to the eighteen hundreds and could never really be replaced. One was the graves was that of a civil war veteran.
When the investigation was completed, the reports were submitted to the Stone County Prosecutor’s office. Based on the information described, Prosecutor Matt Selby filed felony charges on Homes for possessing methamphetamine and leaving the scene of an accident. Warrants were issued and the defendant was finally arrested in August of this year. When he appeared in court he admitted that he was responsible for what happened and wanted to plead guilty.
On September 9, 2021, the defendant did indeed plead guilty in court and was sentenced to five years in prison by Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship.
“This was a case where a defendant might typically have been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution,” said Selby, “however, this defendant has a criminal history, has had chances at probation, and continues to commit crimes. It was time for him to go to prison so that he doesn’t continue to harm others.” The prosecutor further stated that “thanks to the observations and cooperation of the witnesses, the officer was able to identify the defendant and put together a strong case against the defendant which led to his ultimate arrest and conviction.
Selby stated that there have been several other felony cases disposed of so far this month including Jordan Connelly who was sentenced to ten years in prison on several probation violations, Tim Burgtorff and Sandi Burket who received prison sentences for drug offenses, and ten or twelve other cases that resulted in probation or drug court.