MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Division of Drug and Crime Control-P.O. Box 568, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
News Release
For further information please contact:
Lieutenant Darrin R. Haslag
573-526-6302
07/18/2024
July 18, 2024
EMPHASIS:
Arrest Made In Connection To Human Remains Located In Shannon County
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control announces the arrest of Robert C. Bender, 59, of Alton, Missouri. Bender was arrested on July 17, 2024, for first degree murder and stealing, following an extensive investigation into the discovery of human remains, on January 12, 2022, in Shannon County. This investigation was conducted by officers of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop D and F Special Weapons and Tactics Teams, West Plains Police Department, Shannon County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon County Sheriff’s Office, Region G K9 Search and Rescue, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
On January 12, 2022, unidentified female remains were located just off US Highway 60, west of Winona, Missouri, in Shannon County. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be homicide, but identification of the remains could not be made at that time. In April of 2024, investigators located a subject who provided information which ultimately led investigators to identify the remains as Debra J. Ramsey, 66, of Alton, Missouri. On July 17, 2024, investigators executed an Oregon County search warrant at the former residence of Ramsey, and the current residence of her brother, Robert C. Bender. Following a search of the residence and an interview with Bender, he was arrested and transported to the Oregon County Jail, where he was held, pending the filing of formal charges. On July 18, 2024, the Shannon County Prosecuting Attorney, who was appointed as the special prosecutor in the investigation, formally charged Bender in Oregon County with first degree murder and stealing. On July 18, 2024, the Shannon County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged Bender in Shannon County with abandonment of a corpse. Bender is currently being held in the Oregon County Jail, with no bond.
The above charges are mere accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of these charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Follow the Missouri State Highway Patrol on X@MSHPTrooperDDCC
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