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; however, we 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.
Coonts arrested in Cedar County on vehicle tampering warrant
From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom
Melissa D. Coonts, 58, of El Dorado Springs, was booked into the Cedar County Jail at 3:29 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, on a warrant for first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle.
According to court records, Coonts’ case history shows several proceedings in recent months. On Aug. 20, 2025, she appeared before Judge Dawson via Webex while in custody for an arraignment. She was advised of her rights, appointed a public defender, and released on her own recognizance.
A case management conference was scheduled for Sept. 3, 2025, but records indicate Coonts failed to appear. Judge Dawson then issued a $5,000 cash-only warrant for her arrest. That warrant was served on Oct. 12, 2025, by Deputy Schlup with the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office.
Court filings show Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither filed the original complaint on Aug. 20, 2025.
A review of Missouri Case.net shows that Coonts has prior convictions in Cedar County and elsewhere. In 2010, she entered an Alford plea to a felony charge of fraudulently attempting to obtain a controlled substance. She received a suspended imposition of sentence and was placed on five years of supervised probation. Her probation was later revoked, and she was sentenced to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, with credit for time served.
Coonts also pleaded guilty in 2012 to misdemeanor traffic-related offenses, including careless and imprudent driving involving an accident, failing to wear a seat belt, and failing to secure a child passenger properly.
As of press time, the individual was still being held at the Cedar County Jail.
El Dorado Springs man jailed after missing court in repeat dog bite case
From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom
A Cedar County man was taken into custody Friday, Oct. 10, after failing to appear in court on a charge related to a dog bite case.
According to jail and court records, Travis Joe Matzke, 42, of El Dorado Springs, was arrested by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Cedar County Jail at 3:06 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2025.
Matzke is charged with Owner/Possessor’s Dog Bites Person/Domestic Animal (2nd or Subsequent Bite). A warrant for failure to appear had been issued earlier in the week after Matzke did not attend a scheduled hearing on Oct. 8 before Associate Circuit Judge Dawson. The warrant carried a $500 cash-only bond.
According to a probable cause statement filed by Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither, Matzke has repeatedly refused to restrain or confine a dog that has bitten several individuals.
Court documents show a series of continuances requested by the defendant prior to the issuance of the warrant.
As of press time, the individual was still being held at the Cedar County Jail.
Man sentenced under Valentine’s Law after 95-mile chase
From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom
A St. Clair County man who told police he fled at nearly 100 miles per hour “to test a theory” was sentenced under Missouri’s Valentine’s Law after entering a guilty plea earlier this month.
James Hills pleaded guilty on Oct. 6, 2025, to a felony charge of resisting arrest by fleeing. He received a four-year prison sentence, which was suspended in favor of five years of supervised probation.
The case stemmed from an April 21, 2025, incident in Osceola when an officer with the Osceola Police Department reportedly observed Hills driving about 95 mph on Highway 13. During the pursuit, officers said Hills nearly struck several vehicles before returning home, where he was later contacted by law enforcement.
According to court documents, Hills told investigators he wanted to “test his cousin’s theory” that officers would not pursue a vehicle traveling over 100 mph. He reportedly expressed “no remorse” because no one was injured.
Hills was cited for speeding and charged under Valentine’s Law, a Missouri statute that increases penalties for fleeing police and other reckless acts endangering the public.
El Dorado Springs man sentenced in 2021 murder case
From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom
An El Dorado Springs man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2021 killing of Johnnie Billings.
Alexzander Masters, born in 1999, received the sentence on Thursday, Oct. 9, in Cedar County Circuit Court after entering an Alford plea to second-degree murder earlier this year.
Investigators said Vessey paid Master’s with methamphetamine and a vehicle to attack Billings, who was found dead inside his home in September 2021. Because Master’s is considered a repeat offender, he is not eligible for parole and must serve the full sentence.
Lockwood man with long criminal record jailed on probation violation in Cedar County
From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom
Christopher Mitchell, 35, of Lockwood, was booked into the Cedar County Jail on Oct. 7, 2025, at 3:17 p.m. on a probation violation. The Dade County Sheriff’s Office served the writ that same day.
According to court documents, Mitchell has a lengthy criminal history in Dade County, including prior convictions for harassment, stalking, violation of an order of protection, possession of controlled substances, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Records show Mitchell pleaded guilty in December 2024 to multiple felony charges, including first-degree stalking, first-degree harassment, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to serve concurrent terms in the Missouri Department of Corrections, including two years for harassment and seven years for possession of a controlled substance. Mitchell also received a 30-day jail sentence for two misdemeanor counts of violating an order of protection for an adult.
Previous convictions include a 2019 guilty plea for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a 2015 guilty plea for unlawful possession or sale of an illegal weapon with a suspended sentence and two years of unsupervised probation, and a 2009 speeding violation.
As of press time, the individual was still being held at the Cedar County Jail.
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