Rural Justice Report

Tracking Local Crime and Court Cases

This is a Crime Page dedicated to keeping our community informed about court cases and legal matters occurring in Cedar County and the surrounding areas. As residents of rural America, it is essential to stay aware of the issues affecting our neighborhoods. Knowledge fosters safety and community engagement.

Through this platform, we aim to illuminate local legal proceedings and empower our readers to stay informed. Please remember that all individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The El Dorado Springs Sun strives to present accurate information but cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions in our reporting.

Stay updated on local cases by subscribing to The El Dorado Springs Sun. Please send all corrections or typos to sunpub@centurylink.net, including the article information in the subject line.

Long-delayed case of Dr. David Smock sees yet another setback

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

Smock update: Legal proceedings against David E. Smock, a Stockton physician facing multiple felony charges involving sexual misconduct with minors, continue to stretch into their third year with no clear end in sight.

The case, originally filed in 2021 in Cedar County, has faced repeated delays due to venue changes, judicial recusals, and motions from both defense and prosecution. Smock faces a wide range of charges, including multiple counts of statutory sodomy, child molestation, and sexual misconduct involving children under the age of 15. The original incidents span from 2014 through 2020 and involve several alleged victims.

Since the case’s inception, at least three judges have recused themselves due to conflicts, most recently Judge Dawson on May 9, 2025. The case was then reassigned to Judge Troxell with instructions that it be transferred to Dade County following a preliminary hearing. A previous venue transfer to Dade County had already taken place in December 2022, further complicating the procedural timeline.

Judicial discretion in recusal is designed to ensure impartiality, yet its uneven application has drawn criticism. In some recent cases involving financial misconduct by well-connected individuals, judges have stayed on the bench—while, in this case, they’ve stepped aside. For victims, the result is yet another delay.

Prosecutors have filed over a dozen disclosures, while motions to seal, dismiss, protect witness depositions, and reconsider bond have filled the docket. Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Coffin filed a motion to withdraw one of the state’s attorneys, Melissa Pierce, on June 4, 2024, further shifting the state’s legal team.

Defense counsel Stacie Bilyeu, representing Smock, has also been active in filing objections and motions, including repeated efforts to dismiss charges or limit evidence.

The volume of filings, scheduling conflicts, and legal complexity have all contributed to a court docket that reads more like a law school casebook than a rural criminal proceeding.

At this time, no final trial date has been set. According to court orders, the case will once again be transferred to Dade County after the upcoming preliminary hearing, regardless of whether it is bound over to Circuit Court. While some motions have been ruled on, others remain under advisement, and parties continue to negotiate procedural matters.

Smock, born in 1964 and formerly practicing in Stockton, remains at the center of a highly sensitive and controversial case. The community, as well as the victims and their families, has waited years for resolution.

The El Dorado Springs Newsroom will continue to monitor this case and provide updates as new court actions are taken.

Justice delayed: Child molestation case still awaits trial after two years of setbacks

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

Norval update: A Cedar County child molestation case, originally stemming from a December 2022 incident, continues to face delay after delay, with another pre-trial hearing now scheduled for June 27, 2025—more than two years after the alleged offense.

The case against Tabitha Lynn Norval, who is charged with first-degree child molestation following an investigation by the El Dorado Springs Police Department, has undergone a long string of continuances, mental evaluations, and judicial reshuffling.

Although the incident was reported to have occurred on Dec. 1, 2022, Cedar County Prosecutor Ty Gaither did not file formal charges until June 22, 2023, marking a gap of nearly seven months between the alleged offense and the initiation of court proceedings.

Since her arraignment was first scheduled in July 2023, proceedings have repeatedly been rescheduled, often due to court scheduling conflicts or defense motions. The docket shows at least seven pre-trial hearings and multiple continuance requests, including motions for mental health evaluations and a change of judge.

A key turn came in September 2024 when Judge Fisher granted Norval a second mental examination. That process alone extended proceedings by several months. The most recent delay, entered on May 13, 2025, was attributed to “court unavailability and agreement of counsel,” moving the pre-trial conference to late June.

Originally assigned to Judge Munton, the case was reassigned to Judge Fisher after the state filed a motion for a change of judge in July 2023. The move, combined with calendar constraints and procedural filings, has contributed to the prolonged timeline.

Norval remains held at the Cedar County Jail pending further proceedings.

The El Dorado Springs Newsroom will continue to follow the case and provide updates as they become available.

Cedar County assault case stalled by mental health delays

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

Hendrix Update: More than a year after the arrest, Blayne Emery Hendrix remains in custody at the Cedar County Jail as a criminal case continues to face repeated delays, largely due to ongoing mental health evaluations and limited bed availability with the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Hendrix was charged following a May 4, 2024, incident in which law enforcement reports allege Hendrix trespassed on private property outside the El Dorado Springs city limits. During the arrest, Hendrix reportedly scratched then-El Dorado Springs Police Chief Brett Dawn in the face and neck, resulting in charges of third-degree assault on a special victim, resisting arrest, and first-degree trespassing.

Court documents show that Hendrix had two active warrants related to the same property and had previously been ordered not to enter the premises.

Since the arraignment in May 2024, Judge Dawson has reset the case more than a dozen times. Multiple continuances cite pending mental evaluations and Department of Mental Health placement issues. A commitment order was filed in August 2024, and updates continued through early 2025. Hendrix remains in jail due to a lack of DMH bed availability.

The next case management hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at the Cedar County Courthouse.

As of this report, Hendrix remains incarcerated, and no trial date has been set.

Trial date set in long-delayed child sex abuse case

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

Medcalf Update: More than three years after charges were filed, Ray Medcalf is scheduled to face a jury trial in Dade County on multiple felony counts involving the alleged sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.

Medcalf, charged on July 15, 2022, faces two counts of first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy, one count of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy, and one count of incest. All four charges are felonies, including three unclassified felonies considered among the most serious in Missouri law.

The case has moved slowly through the court system, with a series of delays stretching the process well beyond the norm. While the original charges were filed in mid-2022, court activity—including arraignment—did not begin in earnest until late 2024. Since then, proceedings have repeatedly been continued, most often at the defense’s request.

In January 2025, Medcalf formally requested a jury trial. The trial is now scheduled to take place Nov. 18–20, 2025, at the Dade County Courthouse in Greenfield, with Judge David R. Munton presiding. A pre-trial conference and Frye hearing are set for Sept. 10, 2025.

The state is represented by Prosecuting Attorney Marcy Florence Greenwade. Medcalf is represented by defense attorney Keegan Whipple, with occasional appearances from attorney Collins on Whipple’s behalf.

The court has ordered that proposed jury instructions, witness and exhibit lists and any planned audio/video evidence be submitted in advance to prevent additional delays.

Medcalf remains incarcerated at the Cedar County Jail.

Sheriff’s office arrests sex offender following violent assault and wreck

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

A recent press release from the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the arrest of Michael Otis Gilbert, 42, of El Dorado Springs, following a serious vehicle crash east of El Dorado Springs earlier this month. The incident, now under investigation as a violent domestic assault, adds yet another chapter to Gilbert’s extensive criminal history.

According to the official statement issued on May 23 by Chief Deputy Clay Jeffries, Cedar County deputies, and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers responded to a crash scene on May 5. Emergency crews provided on-site care before the female victim, later identified as Kara Ryan, was airlifted for further treatment.

In a shocking turn, authorities say Ryan later identified Gilbert—her then-partner—as her attacker. Despite significant facial injuries and her jaw being wired shut, Ryan communicated through written statements from her hospital bed, alleging Gilbert had physically assaulted her before she fled his residence. According to a probable cause affidavit submitted by Deputy Joey Elder, Ryan claimed the attack involved repeated blows to the head and torso and threats to kill her if she contacted police.

Deputy Elder’s report further revealed that Ryan crashed her car while trying to escape Gilbert, who allegedly followed her vehicle. Gilbert was reportedly the first person to call 911. A detail investigator now believes may have been a calculated attempt to mask his involvement.

Gilbert, who appeared at the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office on May 22 to renew his sex offender registration, was taken into custody without incident. The next day, Judge Dawson signed a warrant charging Gilbert with Domestic Assault in the First Degree, a Class A felony. A second charge, Tampering With a Witness—a Class D felony—was also filed.

Court records show a troubling pattern of criminal behavior, including past convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, burglary, and assault.

In 2018, Gilbert entered an Alford plea—maintaining his innocence while conceding the prosecution had sufficient evidence to convict—for firearm and property charges stemming from a 2016 arrest. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with the sentence suspended in favor of probation. His probation was later revoked in 2019, and the full sentence was executed.

Gilbert’s criminal record dates back more than a decade, with felony cases filed in 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2019. Records also show Gilbert is a registered sex offender, with prior offenses involving a juvenile under the age of 14.

Authorities expressed concern in the probable cause statement about Gilbert’s risk to public safety, citing threats he allegedly made to harm law enforcement or himself with explosives if apprehended.

Michael Otis Gilbert remains in custody as of press time.