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Cold case heats up
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By Ra'Vae Edwards
redwards@newstribune.com Joseph Spencer arrested for 2002 Moniteau County murder of Leslie Gregory
CALIFORNIA, Mo. - A former Moniteau County man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the almost six-year old homicide case of Leslie Gregory.
Joseph R. Spencer, 35, was arrested in Kansas City on Wednesday morning and transported to California by Sheriff J. Gump and Capt. Gary Simmons. He is being held in the Moniteau County Jail without bond until he is arraigned.
Gregory was reported missing on Nov. 12, 2002. Nearly two months later, on Jan. 7, 2003, her body was discovered on a farm in rural Moniteau County.
Authorities said Spencer has been a suspect in the case from the beginning. Until recently, Gump said the investigation did not include enough evidence to file charges.
“There has been a lot of circumstances and stories that had to be investigated over the years. It's really nothing that happened overnight; it's just been an ongoing thing,” Gump said.
“We have finally investigated all the things that needed to be investigated and checked all the things that needed to be checked into to the point that all the agencies involved felt it was time to make the arrest.”
Gump said despite the public's belief, the case has never been left dormant.
“I know because the public doesn't hear about it all the time, they think nothing has been done. Obviously we can't put a press release out every time we interview someone,” Gump said.
At the time of Gregory's disappearance, Kenny Jones, now a state representative, investigated the case. Jones said he was not surprised to hear of Spencer's arrest, adding that Spencer always had been a suspect.
“It was just a matter of details,” he said. “The solid details had to be gathered before an arrest could be made but we always thought this was how the case was going to end up.”
Gregory reportedly was last seen on Nov. 12, 2002, by Spencer when she gave him a ride to the McGirk area at about 10:30 p.m. According to the probable cause statement, a friend reported Gregory and Spencer had left her home north of California in a 1994 Lincoln Towncar.
Gregory's body and the car were found on Jan. 7, 2003, on a farm in the McGirk area. Spencer's grandmother owned the farm and Spencer's residence was in close proximity.
Gregory's remains were wrapped in a plastic tarp and covered with corrugated metal and old tires, according to the probable cause statement. An autopsy revealed she died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
The Lincoln Towncar was located the same day in the woods behind the home. Authorities said the keys to the vehicle were found in Spencer's vehicle, which was parked on the same farm.
Throughout the investigation, authorities said Spencer had been questioned multiple times and gave contradictory statements of what transpired between him and Gregory the night she disappeared.
Gump said Spencer has not confessed to Gregory's murder, but he did admit to investigators that he was present when she was murdered.
Gregory's mother, Linda Gregory, said she was not surprised to hear of Spencer's arrest.
“It's about time,” she said. “So much time has passed. I'm in disbelief that it really happened.”
Linda said she had spoken with Spencer several times after her daughter went missing.
“He acted like he didn't know what I was talking about,” Linda said. “We knew he had been in her company that night and that he was a suspect, but he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about.”
Spencer is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in Associate Circuit Court for an arraignment at 9 a.m. on May 27.
Joseph R. Spencer, 35, was arrested in Kansas City on Wednesday morning and transported to California by Sheriff J. Gump and Capt. Gary Simmons. He is being held in the Moniteau County Jail without bond until he is arraigned.
Gregory was reported missing on Nov. 12, 2002. Nearly two months later, on Jan. 7, 2003, her body was discovered on a farm in rural Moniteau County.
Authorities said Spencer has been a suspect in the case from the beginning. Until recently, Gump said the investigation did not include enough evidence to file charges.
“There has been a lot of circumstances and stories that had to be investigated over the years. It's really nothing that happened overnight; it's just been an ongoing thing,” Gump said.
“We have finally investigated all the things that needed to be investigated and checked all the things that needed to be checked into to the point that all the agencies involved felt it was time to make the arrest.”
Gump said despite the public's belief, the case has never been left dormant.
“I know because the public doesn't hear about it all the time, they think nothing has been done. Obviously we can't put a press release out every time we interview someone,” Gump said.
At the time of Gregory's disappearance, Kenny Jones, now a state representative, investigated the case. Jones said he was not surprised to hear of Spencer's arrest, adding that Spencer always had been a suspect.
“It was just a matter of details,” he said. “The solid details had to be gathered before an arrest could be made but we always thought this was how the case was going to end up.”
Gregory reportedly was last seen on Nov. 12, 2002, by Spencer when she gave him a ride to the McGirk area at about 10:30 p.m. According to the probable cause statement, a friend reported Gregory and Spencer had left her home north of California in a 1994 Lincoln Towncar.
Gregory's body and the car were found on Jan. 7, 2003, on a farm in the McGirk area. Spencer's grandmother owned the farm and Spencer's residence was in close proximity.
Gregory's remains were wrapped in a plastic tarp and covered with corrugated metal and old tires, according to the probable cause statement. An autopsy revealed she died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
The Lincoln Towncar was located the same day in the woods behind the home. Authorities said the keys to the vehicle were found in Spencer's vehicle, which was parked on the same farm.
Throughout the investigation, authorities said Spencer had been questioned multiple times and gave contradictory statements of what transpired between him and Gregory the night she disappeared.
Gump said Spencer has not confessed to Gregory's murder, but he did admit to investigators that he was present when she was murdered.
Gregory's mother, Linda Gregory, said she was not surprised to hear of Spencer's arrest.
“It's about time,” she said. “So much time has passed. I'm in disbelief that it really happened.”
Linda said she had spoken with Spencer several times after her daughter went missing.
“He acted like he didn't know what I was talking about,” Linda said. “We knew he had been in her company that night and that he was a suspect, but he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about.”
Spencer is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in Associate Circuit Court for an arraignment at 9 a.m. on May 27.
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MightyMU wrote on Jun 12, 2008 2:59 PM:
msnbc.msn.com/id/25047818/
msnbc.msn.com/id/20603452/
Thank God for people like Dennis Delano from the stories above. "