Guilty pronounced for cattle theft

Suspect’s father arrested for threatening judge

— Guilty. A stoic Holder P. Crow listened quietly as Associate Circuit Judge John LePage read the verdict of a nine-woman, three-man jury Friday in McDonald County Circuit Court.

Holder, formerly of Pea Ridge, was charged with 12 counts of stealing and four counts of animal abuse in connection to the theft of 11 cattle and a trailer in September 2009 from southwest McDonald County. Crow was judged not guilty on the first of four animal abuse charges before a guilty verdict followed for the second.

Holder was acquitted of the final two animal abuse charges.

“I am happy with the verdict,” said McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney Janice Lynne Durbin.

Crow was represented by defense attorney Renee GotviAgehya.

The trial began May 20 under heavy security. LePage’s first decision in the case was against a motion by GotviAgehya for the judge to recuse himself because of an incident that occurred night before the trial began.

According to a probable cause statement by McDonald County Deputy Travis Horn, Holder Crow’s dad, Arthur T. Crow, 79, of rural Jane, called the Springfield Metro Bar Association and threatened LePage’s life. Horn reported that the elder Crow said: “Judge LePage needed to die, that he had the means to do it, and was going to take the matter into his own hands.”

Arthur T. Crow was taken into custody a short time after he was reported to have made the call. He was charged May 20with tampering with a judicial proceeding, a Class C felony. He remains in the McDonald County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

Hansen’s first witness was Sgt.

Bruce Klier of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Klier testified he received a dispatch about a cow’s legs that had fallen through a trailer being pulled by a red pickup northbound on Highway 71.

In an interview with state police, Crow admitted that he, Stephanie Weston and Ricky Obenshain took the cattle. Obenshain pleaded guilty Jan. 6 and was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role. Weston awaits a June trial.

The cattle were taken to the Anderson Animal Hospital by state Trooper Kotter Kasischke.

Once there, it was discovered that two other cattle were down andanother was dead.

Crow is being held in the McDonald County Jail awaiting sentencing. A sentencing hearing has been set for July 14 at 10 a.m. inMcDonald County Circuit court. Crow faces up to seven years on each of the 12 stealing counts plus an additional four years for the animal abuse charge.

News, Pages 1 on 05/26/2010