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Two Men Charged In Missing Cassidy Rainwater's Kidnapping; Allegedly Kept Her In Cage
Though two men have been charged in the case of the missing woman, police have not released any information about her whereabouts.
A woman remains unaccounted for in Missouri, even though two men have been charged in her kidnapping.
Cassidy Rainwater, 33, hasn't been seen since July 25th. She was officially reported missing by a family member to the Dallas County, Missouri Sheriff on August 25, according to NBC affiliate KYTV in Springfield, Mo. The sheriff issued a public notice asking for information on her whereabouts on Sept. 1.
At that time, law enforcement interviewed James Phelps, 58, who said that Rainwater had been staying with him in July, but had been talking about moving to Colorado, reported Fox affiliate WDAF. He said Rainwater had gotten in a car at the end of his driveway in the middle of the night and he hadn't heard from her since. Detectives said that the place where Rainwater was reportedly staying on Phelps' property did not seem to have any of her belongings.
On Sept. 16, an FBI agent in Kansas City contacted detectives in the Sheriff's Department after receiving an anonymous tip about photos that allegedly showed Rainwater being held in a cage, reported CBS affiliate KFVS in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
The Dallas County Sheriff applied for and received a search warrant for Phelps' phone later that day, WDAF reported, and reportedly found seven pictures of a partially nude Rainwater in a cage.
Phelps was arrested and charged with first degree felony kidnapping in the disappearance of Rainwater and is being held without bond in the Dallas County Jail.
In a statement announcing his arrest on Sept. 18, the Dallas County Sheriff's Department said that "Additional charges are expected in the coming days" and added "There is no immediate danger to the public." They added that they would not release more details due to the "extreme nature of the crime."
On Sept. 21, the Dallas County Sheriff's Department arrested Timothy Norton, 55, and charged him with first degree felony kidnapping in the disappearance of Rainwater. He was transferred to the Greene County Jail and is being held without bond.
According to WDAF, Norton was first interviewed by police about the Rainwater case on Sept. 19 but, after reportedly determining that his statements were inaccurate, they re-interviewed him on Sept. 20 at the department. At that time, Norton reportedly admitted that he knew Rainwater was being held in a cage on Phelps' property and that, on July 24, he had come to the property at Phelps' request to help restrain Rainwater.
In response to a request from Oxygen.com on Wednesday, Dallas County Sheriff Scott Rice stated that the office was not ready to release any more information on the case, which is still being investigated.
The office has not yet said whether they have found Rainwater.
