Norton after September 27,2025 Arrest and Scene of Assault SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Thomas David Norton, 33, of Springfield, was sentenced today to 30 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for domestic assault in the first degree, and to 7 years on each of two related counts of tampering with a witness and tampering with a victim, in Greene County Circuit Court. The 7-year sentences will run concurrently with the 30-year sentence. Judge Todd Myers imposed the sentence. A

Fred Nelson booking photo May 6, 2026 SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Fred Joseph Nelson, 71, of Springfield, was found guilty of nine felony sex offenses against children, including five counts of child molestation in the first degree, three counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree, and one count of attempted statutory rape in the first degree, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Greene County Circuit Court. The case originated in September 2020, when Greene County Sheriff’s Office deput

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Matthew Billy Romesburg was sentenced on April 6, 2026, by Greene County Judge Jerry Harmison to 18 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections following his guilty plea to five felony charges arising from a violent confrontation on December 30, 2023, along Interstate 44 near the West Bypass in Springfield. The court denied probation. All sentences were ordered to run concurrently. There was no plea agreement in the case. This incident began when Romes

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — On April 6, 2026, Nikolai Martin Janes, 20, of Springfield, was sentenced to five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in the First Degree in connection with the July 1, 2023, shooting death of 19-year-old Keontae Tureaud. Greene County Circuit Judge Jerry Harmison presided over the case and denied probation, ordering Janes to serve his sentence in prison. On the evening of July 1, 2023, Springfi

Larry Robertson Booking Photo SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Larry Thomas Robertson, 40, of Springfield, was found guilty of five felony counts of child sex crimes on March 25, 2026, in Greene County Circuit Court following a jury trial that began March 23, 2026. The jury deliberated for just under two hours before returning its verdict. Robertson was convicted of two counts of Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree, two counts of Child Molestation in the First Degree, and one count of Ra

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Thomas David Norton, 33, of Springfield, was found guilty by a jury today of domestic assault in the first degree, tampering with a witness, and tampering with a victim — following a two-day trial in Greene County Circuit Court. The jury deliberated for approximately an hour and twenty minutes. The case was presided over by Judge Todd Myers, who scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2026. On September 27, 2025, Springfield Police were dispatched to a domestic di

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Jose Morales was found guilty of arson in the first degree on March 5, 2026, following a three-day jury trial in Greene County Circuit Court. The jury found Morales not guilty of a second count of tampering with a motor vehicle. The jury deliberated for just under 90 minutes before returning its verdict. Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Kaiti Greenwade. Arson in the first degree is a Class B felony carrying a sentence of

This week, First Assistants Elizabeth Fax and Emily Shook led an interactive in-house training on one of the most critical skills in trial practice — jury selection. Voir dire can make or break a case, and having experienced prosecutors who are willing to share their knowledge and sharpen the skills of our entire team is something I don't take for granted. Our office is committed to ongoing professional development so that every assistant prosecuting attorney walks into the c

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Christopher Ryan Cable, 38, of Brighton, Missouri, was found guilty of harassment in the first degree, a class E felony, on February 24, 2026, following a two-day jury trial in Greene County Circuit Court before the Honorable Judge Jerry Harmison. On March 17, 2025, Cable began to message his then wife threatening messages days after she had separated from him. The defendant ignored repeated requests by the victim to leave her alone. The victim reported th

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Aden Xavier Warr Harper, of Springfield, was found guilty of two counts of Tampering with a Judicial Officer, a Class D felony, on February 18, 2026, in Greene County Circuit Court following a two-day jury trial presided over by Special Judge David Allen Cole. On April 23, 2024, Harper appeared via video from the Greene County Jail for a civil order of protection hearing before a Greene County Circuit Judge. After the judge denied his request for an order

Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson represented Missouri prosecutors in Washington, D.C. today as part of the National District Attorneys Association. Dan joined fellow prosecutors Will Lynch (Newton County) and Gabe Gore (St. Louis City), along with Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Executive Director Tim Garrison, to meet with Missouri's Congressional delegation on legislation that matters to Greene County and Missouri—including funding to recruit and retain

During the National District Attorney's Association Advocacy Conference in Washington D.C., Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson provided an update on the opioid crisis, emerging threats, and legislative efforts to curb overdoses.

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Ray Dean Wolfe, 61, of Aurora, was found guilty of exceeding the speed limit, failure to register a motor vehicle, and displaying an unlawful plate on a motor vehicle on February 2, 2026, following a one-day jury trial. The jury deliberated for approximately 26 minutes. Wolfe represented himself at trial. Judge J. Ronald Carrier presided over the trial. On April 9, 2025, a Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy observed Wolfe driving a silver Ford F150 at 63 miles

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Larry Gene McConnell, 76, of Brookline, was found guilty of one count of Statutory Sodomy in the Second Degree (Count 1) and one count of Rape in the Second Degree (Count 4) following a four-day jury trial in Greene County Circuit Court. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on two Statutory Sodomy in the Second Degree Counts (Counts 2 and 3). Prosecutors presented evidence at trial that McConnell, who served as the Brookline Fire Chief, sexually abused a

Great way to start the morning, swearing in and welcoming our newest Greene County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney -- Kevin Connolly. Welcome aboard Kevin!

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Following a two-day jury trial and after deliberating for thirty-seven minutes, a Greene County jury found William Gage Lancaster-Furlong, 27, of Springfield, guilty of Domestic Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the Second Degree, class A misdemeanors. Evidence presented at trial showed that on May 27, 2025, Lancaster-Furlong grabbed the victim by the throat and strangled her for an es

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Today, Glenn Michael Johnson, 43, of Springfield was found guilty of assault in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor, and sexual misconduct in the first degree, a class B misdemeanor, following a misdemeanor bench trial before Greene County Circuit Court Judge Kirsten Poppen. On September 21, 2024, at approximately 4:35 a.m., Johnson was being discharged from Cox North Hospital when he became aggressive toward hospital staff and security officers. Afte

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson announced today that Nicholas Taylor Gardner, 35, of Springfield, was sentenced to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections following his guilty plea to attempted robbery in the first degree and resisting arrest. On January 23, 2026, Gardner pleaded guilty in Greene County Circuit Court to one count of attempted robbery in the first degree, a class B felony, and one count of resisting arrest for a

SPRINGFIELD, MO. — Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson announced that on January 22, 2026, Mykhael Hack was sentenced to two years in the Missouri Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to Making a Terroristic Threat in the Second Degree, a Class E felony. The charge stemmed from an incident on December 5, 2024, at the Park Central Library in downtown Springfield. According to court documents, Hack threatened library patrons, stating he "had a gun and wa

SPRINGFIELD, MO. – Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson announced that on January 21, 2026, Theodore Proctor Gannaway, 53, was sentenced to five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to Unlawful Use of a Weapon, a Class E felony. On November 20, 2024, Gannaway stole a basket of children’s toys from a victim’s front porch in Springfield. The victim was alerted to the theft by doorbell camera. When the victim confronted Gannaway and a