Miller County man, woman face arson charges

A Miller County man and woman have been charged with arson after allegedly igniting a fire at a residence in the North Shore area of Lake of the Ozarks in April.

Robert Cody Jr., 34, of Tuscumbia, and Leigha Bellamy, 34, of Eldon, are each facing a charge of second-degree arson stemming from an April 17 fire at 27 Leisure Road, off Route W in Eldon. No one was injured in the fire.

According to a Missouri Fire Marshal investigator, a witness saw Cody and Bellamy arrive at the residence prior to the fire. Cody allegedly went inside while Bellamy stayed outside. About half an hour after they left, the witness saw smoke coming from inside the house.

Firefighters found the interior garage door and front door were bolted and secured when they arrived at the residence. The only open windows were two kitchen windows that had been breached by fire. Firefighters contained the fire to the kitchen.

The investigator determined the fire was set intentionally, locating a burn pattern on the kitchen floor commonly associated with poured ignitable liquid, according to court documents. No other areas of fire origin were located in the structure.

The investigator noted earlier the same day, the homeowner and Cody, his roommate, got into an altercation, and the homeowner was arrested for assaulting Cody. The homeowner was incarcerated at the Miller County detention center. Bellamy was allegedly present during the assault.

A warrant for Cody's arrest with a $50,000 bond was served April 25. In a preliminary hearing July 21, a motion for bond reduction was denied. The case went to the circuit court; Cody then waived formal arraignment Aug. 3, with no date set for a jury trial.

A warrant was issued for Bellamy July 22; her bond was originally set at $25,000. During an Aug. 8 hearing, Bellamy's bond was reduced to $5,000 with the condition to have no contact with the victim or Cody. The court has set a case review for Sept. 19 at the Miller County Courthouse.

Bellamy was also charged with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle after allegedly stealing a truck April 17 at a different residence on Leisure Road. The owners of the Chevrolet pickup reported it stolen that same day.

Miller County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Walters talked May 2 with a witness who said Bellamy contacted her the night of April 17, and Bellamy wanted her to come pick her up from a residence on Leisure Road. After the witness was unable to pick her up, Bellamy came to the woman's home and "appeared highly intoxicated and was driving a truck she hadn't seen before."

Bellamy allegedly told the witness she needed to get the truck back to its owner and wanted the witness to come with her. The witness said she then drove the truck down Route W, and while the two were in the vehicle, Bellamy said the truck was stolen. The witness said they then drove the truck down Cotton Road, parked it on a gravel road and walked back to the witness' house.

Bellamy was arrested May 3 at the Lake Ozark Police Department for property damage and tampering with a motor vehicle. She was transported to the Miller County Sheriff's Office.

During questioning, Bellamy said she got into a fight with her boyfriend at a residence on Leisure Road then walked up the road toward Route W. She said at a different residence on Leisure Road she reached in the side window of a Chevrolet pickup, discovering the keys were in the ignition of the vehicle.

A warrant was issued May 4 for Bellamy on this charge, with a bond set at $25,000. She posted the surety bond May 12. Court records dated Aug. 8 indicate a case review was set for Sept. 19 at the Miller County Courthouse.