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 shed light on 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.

Repeat arrest lands Everton woman back behind bars

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

A woman with a turbulent history in Dade County courts found herself once again behind bars this weekend. Patricia Kay Culp, 40, of Everton, Missouri, was booked into the Cedar County Jail on Saturday, June 28, following an arrest by the Dade County Sheriff’s Office. As of press time, Culp remains in custody.

Culp was taken into custody after deputies responded to a report of a woman lying in the grass at Sinking Creek Cemetery. Upon arrival, authorities recognized the woman as Culp, who had an active felony warrant for failure to appear in a prior domestic assault case. When deputies attempted to take her into custody, she fled on foot and was subsequently subdued with a taser. Officers noted that Culp resisted verbal commands, screamed incoherently, and made references to Satan during the encounter. Emergency medical personnel evaluated her at the scene before she was transported to jail.

This is not Culp’s first encounter with law enforcement in the area. In August 2023, deputies were called to her Everton residence after her pregnant daughter reported that Culp, allegedly intoxicated, had attacked her. Witnesses told deputies the altercation escalated when Culp grabbed her daughter by the hair and struck her, prompting the daughter to defend herself with a kayak paddle. A neighbor reported seeing Culp as the aggressor and described ongoing volatile behavior between the two. That incident led to a charge of domestic assault in the third degree.

Since her original arrest, Culp has repeatedly failed to appear in court. She has been represented at various times by court-appointed attorneys, most recently public defender Keegan Whipple. Court records show multiple warrants were issued throughout 2024 due to missed hearings, with judges consistently denying requests for continuances and ordering new bond amounts. Prosecuting Attorney Marcy Greenwade has overseen the state’s case.

Judge Troxell has presided over the majority of Culp’s court proceedings. Despite being granted bond on several occasions, she failed to appear for arraignments, case management conferences, and preliminary hearings. At one point, the court even ordered a mental evaluation. Most recently, she was released on her own recognizance in late 2024, only to fail to appear again, prompting the issuance of yet another warrant.

Culp is being held without bond under a capias warrant. She remains classified as a minimum-security inmate, though her criminal charges include resisting arrest for a felony and prior domestic violence offenses. Authorities have indicated she has been uncooperative in the past and note her lengthy history of encounters with law enforcement.

As of press time, Culp is still in custody at the Cedar County Jail, awaiting further court proceedings.

Stockton man remains in custody following meth trafficking arrest

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

A Stockton man with a long history of municipal and felony charges remains in jail without bond after being arrested last week in connection with a large-scale drug case.

John Ray Herndon, 27, was arrested on June 26, 2025, by the El Dorado Springs Police Department and later booked into the Cedar County Jail by the sheriff’s office. As of press time, Herndon remains held under a capias warrant, with no scheduled release or bond allowed.

Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither formally charged Herndon with trafficking in the first degree, a class A felony. According to the probable cause statement, Herndon is accused of knowingly distributing or attempting to distribute 57 grams of methamphetamine within Cedar County. The offense carries a punishment of 10 to 30 years—or life—in the Missouri Department of Corrections if convicted.

This is far from Herndon’s first encounter with the law.

Court records show a string of charges dating back to at least 2018. In that year, Herndon faced two felony cases—one filed in March and the other in August. The charges originated in Cedar County Circuit Court and were listed as drug-related offenses. In 2020, he was charged again in a felony case, followed by an additional filing in July 2021.

Another felony case was filed in 2021. Most recently, on June 27, 2025, a new felony case was entered into Cedar County’s court records—less than 24 hours after Herndon’s arrest.

In addition to felony cases, Herndon has been cited numerous times in municipal court. Charges include multiple traffic violations, ordinance violations, and other infractions across El Dorado Springs and Stockton.

At this time, Herndon remains at the Cedar County Jail, classified as a medium-level inmate under a drug possession/use category. The case remains active, and further court dates are expected to be set.

El Dorado Springs man held on felony domestic assault charges

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

David Wayne Murdock Jr., 47, of El Dorado Springs, remains behind bars after being charged with felony domestic assault following two violent incidents at his residence on West Marshall Street.

According to the affidavit filed by the El Dorado Springs Police Department, the first reported assault occurred on June 22, when Murdock allegedly stomped on the victim’s left foot, breaking it and requiring medical attention. He also reportedly threw a glass bottle that struck her in the head, then continued to stomp on her legs, arms, and stomach. The report states he forced her to sleep on the floor with a dog that night.

Two days later, on June 24, Murdock is accused of striking the same victim again, injuring her back. He then allegedly forced her outside onto the back porch for the entire day with no food, water, or money.

Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither filed formal charges on June 26. A warrant was issued the same day, with a $25,000 cash or surety bond requirement. Conditions of release include no contact with the victim, maintaining a distance of at least 500 feet from her residence, and wearing a GPS monitor prior to release.

Although a date has not been set, Murdock is scheduled to appear before Judge Dawson. Court records indicate that Murdock has an extensive legal history in Cedar County.

Anderson man booked after months-old warrant finally served

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

Logan Bromwell, 25, of Anderson, Missouri, was booked into jail during the early morning hours of June 25 following his arrest by the El Dorado Springs Police Department. Bromwell, who stands six feet tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds, remains behind bars on a cash-only bond of $1,500. As of press time, no release date has been scheduled.

The outstanding warrant tied to Bromwell stems from an incident on October 12, 2024, in McDonald County. According to the probable cause statement filed by Deputy Kaden Miller of the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office, Bromwell was accused of tampering with a motor vehicle in the second degree.

The case began when law enforcement responded to a report involving a stolen 2014 silver Kia Soul. The vehicle, which had no plates and was valued at $3,000, belonged to a woman who told officers she had walked to work, leaving her car locked and the keys on her dresser. She claimed that Bromwell—her boyfriend at the time—had taken the vehicle without permission and had since ceased all contact with her.

Deputy Miller confirmed that the car had been entered into NCIC as stolen.

Prosecuting attorney Maleia Cheney filed the criminal complaint and requested a warrant for Bromwell’s arrest. Judge LePage later signed off on the warrant, setting the bond at $1,500, payable in cash only. Bromwell had managed to avoid arrest for months until El Dorado Springs officers served the warrant on June 24, 2025.

He is currently being held under a Medium 3 classification related to theft and burglary offenses. As of now, no court date has been announced.

Repeat warrants, drug charges land Carthage woman back in jail

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

A Carthage woman remains in custody at the Cedar County Jail as of press time, following a long trail of missed court appearances, warrants, and unresolved charges that date back nearly four years.

Ashley Elaine Dunham, 36, is scheduled to appear before Judge Troxell on July 3, 2025, in Dade County for a bond reduction hearing. Her current incarceration stems from a warrant served on June 24, 2025, by the Dade County Sheriff’s Office. The warrant was related to a failure to appear in an ongoing criminal case involving drug and DWI charges.

The original charges, filed in October 2021, stem from an arrest by the Greenfield Police Department in September 2021. Dunham was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance (not including marijuana) and a misdemeanor DWI. Since then, her case has faced repeated delays due to her failure to appear, resulting in multiple warrants being issued and reissued over the years.

Court documents indicate that Dunham failed to appear in November 2021, resulting in a warrant with a $500 cash-only bond. A second failure to appear occurred in 2023, resulting in another warrant and a $1,000 cash or surety bond requirement. Despite being granted release on her own recognizance in 2023, she continued to miss court dates and remained entangled in separate legal issues, including outstanding warrants from Joplin.

During a recent hearing, Dunham appeared via video and indicated she was willing to enter a rehabilitation program. Her public defender is reportedly in discussions with Dade County Prosecuting Attorney Marcy Florence Greenwade about potential rehabilitation placement. The court is expected to be updated on those discussions at the upcoming bond reduction hearing. Public defender Keegan L. Whipple currently represents Dunham.