Tampering with witness leads to charges

A Jefferson City man has been charged in connection with a missing man case.

Richard Love, 25, 811 E. Dunklin St., was charged Thursday with tampering with a witness.

The charging document shows that, from June 13-17, Love "on more than one occasion threatened the victim during this investigation," including trying to get that person to avoid cooperating with authorities in their investigation into the "disappearance and/or kidnapping and/or homicide" of Christopher Cray, 23.

Cray last was seen May 20 in the area of Schnucks, 1801 Missouri Blvd.

His abandoned vehicle was recovered in Jefferson City May 26.

Cray's disappearance was considered suspicious because family members said Cray always kept in contact with them. Since his disappearance, Cray missed his own birthday and the birth of his child.

A Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement shows on June 17 Love sent a text message to a witness in the Cray case, who has not been identified.

The message said the witness would "die like the first "rat.'"

Love later admitted to authorities he sent the text message, the police statement reported.

During their investigation, authorities said they found that Cray was "accused of cooperating with police and causing the arrest of an individual" who was associated with Love.

As of Thursday afternoon, Love was being held in the Cole County Jail on $200,000 bond.