Prosecutor Updates on Three Recent Convictions
Two Crimes Took Place in Crane
May 31, 2018
Isaac Estes-Jones
Stone County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Selby has submitted updates on three cases that have lead to guilty pleas. Joshua Jackson, Kellen Close and Derek Williams all pled guilty in May. Jackson has not yet been sentenced, but Close and Williams will both be incarcerated with the Missouri Department of Corrections. Close and Williams committed felonies in Crane in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
• Joshua Jackson, of Reeds Spring, pled guilty on Wednesday, May 23, to second degree involuntary manslaughter and first degree child endangerment for the events leading to the death of his one year old son.
Jackson and his wife Bambi were arrested in April 2016 following the death of their 13 month old son, who was found unresponsive in his crib in January 2016. The investigation reportedly found that the child had not been checked on in hours and also had not seen a doctor since just after his birth. He was also reportedly found to be malnourished and very underdeveloped for his age.
Joshua Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2018, in front of the Honorable Alan Blankenship, Stone County Associate Circuit Judge. The defendant is facing up to seven years in prison, as well as fines, Selby reports.
Bambi Jackson is facing charges of first degree involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and abuse or neglect of a child resulting in serious injury. She is set for a bench trial on July 11, 2018, also before Judge Blankenship.
• Kellen Close, 35, of Crane, pled guilty on May 9, 2018 to second degree sexual abuse for inappropriately touching a 16 year old. He was sentenced to four years incarceration with the Missouri Department of Corrections.
According to a press release from Selby, the victim testified that Close moved in with her family in Crane while dating her mother in the last part of 2016.
After the events, the victim moved in with her father, who lives in a different part of the state. While there, she disclosed what happened with Close at her mother’s home.
Selby reports that, “She stated that one night she was sleeping on the couch in the living room and woke up with the defendant sitting on the floor next to her with his hand under clothes fondling her.”
The victim’s information was then passed on to Stone County Detective Brian Landreth. Landreth investigated the case and requested charges from the Stone County Prosecutors Office. The evidence included the fact that the defendant had previously been convicted of molesting a child and had been to prison for that offense.
Close was convicted of child molestation and deviate sexual assault in Christian County following events that took place in 2005. Close was sentenced to 10 years incarceration for those convictions.
According to Selby, the charges in Stone County normally would have been a misdemeanor, but due to the prior conviction he was able to pursue it as a felony. “Four years doesn’t seem like enough in this situation, however, it is the maximum possible sentence and I am pleased that Judge Blankenship followed our recommendation”, said Selby.
• Derek Williams, 42, of Springfield, pled guilty to charges of burglary, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and third degree kidnapping on May 11, 2018. He was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison by Circuit Judge Jack Goodman.
On February 22, 2017, Williams broke into a mobile home in the Hilton Park in Crane. He threatened the resident of the home with a gun and demanded to know where the previous occupants were. The victim told him that she did not know where they had moved to. Williams then searched the home and, apparently satisfied the people he was looking for were not there, left. However, Williams and a woman who was with him took the victim’s cell phone and purse before leaving. Williams also told the victim that if she left the home, he would “put a bullet in [her] head.”
Later that night, another man was questioned by Williams and held against his will. Williams eventually let this second victim go.
The first victim waited until she thought it was safe and called 911. Crane Police officer Michael Denton responded to the call and investigated the incident.
She told Denton that she heard the woman, who was not identified by Selby in the press release, call the man Derek. She also said she heard someone yell “Williams” at the man. She was able to pick Williams out of a photo lineup.
Officer Denton and Crane Police Chief John Elmore were able to determine that Derek Williams was responsible for both the break in and holding the second man against his will.
“The Crane Police Department did a good job on their investigation and we were prepared to go to trial,” said Selby, “but his guilty plea saved the victims from having to suffer any more trauma and I believe the sentence is appropriate for the situation.”
After a warrant was issued, Williams was eventually arrested on August 23, 2017, according to online court records.
The case was set for a jury trial on May 16, but Williams changed his plea at a pre-trial conference on May 11, 2018.
Williams received the following incarceration sentences for the various charges, with all sentences to be served concurrently. For the charge of second degree kidnapping, Williams was sentenced to seven years. He was sentenced to three years for armed criminal action and four years for unlawful use of a weapon. Finally, Williams was sentenced to eight years for first degree burglary.
Isaac Estes-Jones
Stone County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Selby has submitted updates on three cases that have lead to guilty pleas. Joshua Jackson, Kellen Close and Derek Williams all pled guilty in May. Jackson has not yet been sentenced, but Close and Williams will both be incarcerated with the Missouri Department of Corrections. Close and Williams committed felonies in Crane in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
• Joshua Jackson, of Reeds Spring, pled guilty on Wednesday, May 23, to second degree involuntary manslaughter and first degree child endangerment for the events leading to the death of his one year old son.
Jackson and his wife Bambi were arrested in April 2016 following the death of their 13 month old son, who was found unresponsive in his crib in January 2016. The investigation reportedly found that the child had not been checked on in hours and also had not seen a doctor since just after his birth. He was also reportedly found to be malnourished and very underdeveloped for his age.
Joshua Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2018, in front of the Honorable Alan Blankenship, Stone County Associate Circuit Judge. The defendant is facing up to seven years in prison, as well as fines, Selby reports.
Bambi Jackson is facing charges of first degree involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and abuse or neglect of a child resulting in serious injury. She is set for a bench trial on July 11, 2018, also before Judge Blankenship.
• Kellen Close, 35, of Crane, pled guilty on May 9, 2018 to second degree sexual abuse for inappropriately touching a 16 year old. He was sentenced to four years incarceration with the Missouri Department of Corrections.
According to a press release from Selby, the victim testified that Close moved in with her family in Crane while dating her mother in the last part of 2016.
After the events, the victim moved in with her father, who lives in a different part of the state. While there, she disclosed what happened with Close at her mother’s home.
Selby reports that, “She stated that one night she was sleeping on the couch in the living room and woke up with the defendant sitting on the floor next to her with his hand under clothes fondling her.”
The victim’s information was then passed on to Stone County Detective Brian Landreth. Landreth investigated the case and requested charges from the Stone County Prosecutors Office. The evidence included the fact that the defendant had previously been convicted of molesting a child and had been to prison for that offense.
Close was convicted of child molestation and deviate sexual assault in Christian County following events that took place in 2005. Close was sentenced to 10 years incarceration for those convictions.
According to Selby, the charges in Stone County normally would have been a misdemeanor, but due to the prior conviction he was able to pursue it as a felony. “Four years doesn’t seem like enough in this situation, however, it is the maximum possible sentence and I am pleased that Judge Blankenship followed our recommendation”, said Selby.
• Derek Williams, 42, of Springfield, pled guilty to charges of burglary, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and third degree kidnapping on May 11, 2018. He was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison by Circuit Judge Jack Goodman.
On February 22, 2017, Williams broke into a mobile home in the Hilton Park in Crane. He threatened the resident of the home with a gun and demanded to know where the previous occupants were. The victim told him that she did not know where they had moved to. Williams then searched the home and, apparently satisfied the people he was looking for were not there, left. However, Williams and a woman who was with him took the victim’s cell phone and purse before leaving. Williams also told the victim that if she left the home, he would “put a bullet in [her] head.”
Later that night, another man was questioned by Williams and held against his will. Williams eventually let this second victim go.
The first victim waited until she thought it was safe and called 911. Crane Police officer Michael Denton responded to the call and investigated the incident.
She told Denton that she heard the woman, who was not identified by Selby in the press release, call the man Derek. She also said she heard someone yell “Williams” at the man. She was able to pick Williams out of a photo lineup.
Officer Denton and Crane Police Chief John Elmore were able to determine that Derek Williams was responsible for both the break in and holding the second man against his will.
“The Crane Police Department did a good job on their investigation and we were prepared to go to trial,” said Selby, “but his guilty plea saved the victims from having to suffer any more trauma and I believe the sentence is appropriate for the situation.”
After a warrant was issued, Williams was eventually arrested on August 23, 2017, according to online court records.
The case was set for a jury trial on May 16, but Williams changed his plea at a pre-trial conference on May 11, 2018.
Williams received the following incarceration sentences for the various charges, with all sentences to be served concurrently. For the charge of second degree kidnapping, Williams was sentenced to seven years. He was sentenced to three years for armed criminal action and four years for unlawful use of a weapon. Finally, Williams was sentenced to eight years for first degree burglary.