News Release

For further information please contact: Sergeant Martin K. Elmore
(417) 469-3121, ext. 225
G-12085
December 29, 2008

EMPHASIS: Traffic Stop Results In Recovery Of Stolen Vehicles


On December 28, 2008, at approximately 7:45 a.m., a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper initiated a traffic stop for a registration violation on a 1996 Ford Mustang on Missouri Highway 5, within the city limits of Hartville in Wright County. The vehicle matched the description of a vehicle that had been reported stolen from Mountain View, Missouri, on December 27, 2008. A computer check of the vehicle identification number confirmed that it was stolen.

The driver of the vehicle, Johnson C. Burks, 20, of Mountain View, Missouri, was arrested for felony first degree tampering with a motor vehicle; misdemeanor driving while revoked; and a seat belt violation. A passenger in the vehicle, Marc A. Compton, 22, of West Plains, Missouri, was arrested for misdemeanor second degree tampering with a motor vehicle. A juvenile male passenger in the car was charged with misdemeanor second degree tampering with a motor vehicle and was released to juvenile authorities. Burks and Compton were incarcerated in the Wright County Jail.

Further investigation revealed the location of two other stolen vehicles, which were recovered in Douglas County. All three vehicles were returned to their owners.

The charges for which Burks, Compton, and the unidentified juvenile were arrested are mere accusation and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

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