TEBBETTS, Mo. - Five teenagers have been arrested following an investigation into vandalism at the historic Oakley Chapel in Tebbetts, Callaway County Sheriff Clay Chism said.
Two abandoned residences in the area were similarly vandalized, apparently at the same time as the church. The damage was reported Jan. 23 to the Callaway County Sheriff's Office.
Founded by freed Black residents of the area in 1878, Oakley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church has been largely disused for years, though it hosted occasional functions into the early 2010s.
Chism announced the arrests during a news conference outside the boarded-up church Monday afternoon.
Those arrested include Bradyn Holzhauser, 18, and Dylan Smith and Matthew Myers, both 17, all of Jefferson City. Also arrested were two juveniles: a 16-year-old Jefferson City resident and a 16-year-old Tebbetts resident.
All five have been charged with burglary and property damage.
The arrests took place Friday and Saturday, according to the Sheriff's Office. The 17- and 18-year-olds were taken to the Callaway County Jail and later released pending future court appearances, while the juveniles were put under the supervision of the 13th Judicial Circuit's juvenile division.
With the investigation ongoing, Chism said he couldn't comment on motive.
"I'll just say it's a disgusting act, obviously; what maybe started as a simple vandalism turned into a major criminal act, and those responsible are going to be held accountable," he said.
The investigation proved challenging, Chism said. Two criminal investigators spent last week and the weekend chasing down all leads, even seemingly minor ones.
"Leads were slow off the get-go, but the investigators kept their nose to the ground," Chism said, later adding, "We had community cooperation - this was an example of the community working with law enforcement and providing good lead information."
The Jefferson City Police Department and Cole County Sheriff's Department also provided assistance.
Family reacts
Until recently, the walls of the the gable-front church were dotted with photographs and artifacts documenting the church's story and the story of Black people who lived in the area and worshiped at the church.
Many of those items were created by members of the Handy family, which for generations worshiped at the church, Fulton resident Jean Handy wrote in an email. Her mother, Tebbetts resident Doris Handy, was instrumental in documenting Oakley's history and working to add it to the National Register of Historic Places.
Though Chism has stated the "facts of the case" don't indicate the vandalism was a hate crime, Jean Handy thinks otherwise.
"The destruction of this church is a hate crime, pure and simple," she wrote in an email Friday, before the arrests.
She could not be reached for additional comment Monday.
Handy said the church was "shot up" in the late 1990s or early 2000s. The last service hosted by the church occurred as recently as 2012 or 2013, she said, rather than the early 2000s as previously reported.
"The bullet holes remained in the screen door up until the last time services were held as reminder of the hate and racism that exists in Callaway County to this day," she wrote.
She drew a connection between the vandalism at Oakley and similar vandalism at Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Holts Summit - also a historically Black church - in November. Handy said she and other family members want an FBI investigation.
Chism said Monday that no evidence uncovered so far supports a connection between the vandalizing of the two churches.
"An investigation doesn't stop with an arrest," he added.
Chism said the FBI has been contacted and "stands ready" to help should evidence arise suggesting the vandalism qualifies as a hate crime.
Restoration plans
The church building's windows are smashed, and its front door is damaged. Inside, pews, hymnals, old decorations and other items are strewn about. Scorch-marks on the floor suggest an attempt to light a fire. A small dining hall on the same property was even more extensively damaged, with holes knocked into its interior walls.
Community outcry - and offers to help - followed the news of the vandalism.
"The community outpouring of support has just been phenomenal," Chism said.
The property is owned by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Missouri Conference, St. Louis-Columbia District. The Rev. Darlene Smith is the district's presiding elder; she also pastored at Oakley in the late 1980s.
Smith fondly remembers the thriving Oakley community.
"They'd have basket dinners and people from all around, the surrounding churches, they'd come to Tebbetts for the basket dinner," Smith said. "That's where the young girls would meet boyfriends or husbands. A girl would make up a basket of food, boys would bid on basket, and the one with highest bid would be that girl's date."
Smith stays in regular contact with George Hord, a Tebbetts local who helps take care of the Oakley property. Together they've hatched the beginnings of a plan to move the church building from its isolated location on County Road 485 into town. Smith envisions the building becoming a chapel for people passing through Tebbetts on the Katy Trail. Its old site, which also contains a graveyard, could be a memorial garden.
"All those things cost lots of money," Smith acknowledged.
While the property is insured, Smith said, the insurer claimed vandalism isn't covered under the policy. That discussion is ongoing, she said.
She outlined a process of fundraising, acquiring an acre of land near the Katy Trail, moving the building then repairing the damage done by the vandals.
"I can picture the church living again (people) working on painting the church, fixing it up on the inside," she said. "The spirit of God, the spirit of the ancestors who kept the church open for all those years, would come alive again."
Smith plans to set up an A.M.E. bank account to receive Oakley Chapel-related donations soon. In the meantime, donations may be made out to the A.M.E. St. Louis/Columbia district and sent to 3101 Wheaton Ave., St. Louis, 63114. Mention Oakley Chapel in the memo line.
Smith praised the work of Chism's investigators.
"They've done an outstanding job - I really didn't expect it to happen this quickly," Smith said.
She said of the teenagers' arrest: "Though I hate (that) they made bad decisions, they still need to be held accountable."