Paducah Convention Center Director charged with stealing $200K

PADUCAH, KY (WKMS) - Former Paducah Convention Center Director John Patrick Kerr is charged with stealing more than 200 thousand dollars in convention center funds. City officials fired Kerr Sunday before his arrest that evening.

Police also arrested his alleged accomplice, Susan Wilson. Convention Center Board Chairman Jim Sigler says Kerr would pay out a fake invoice to Wilson, who would then pay him a kickback from the Convention Center’s money.

Speaking on radio station WKYX, Sigler says Kerr used unauthorized checks to bypass the board’s oversight.

"The fictitious vendor invoices were paid with a series of single signature Convention Center Corporation checks that Mr. Kerr was not authorized to use for payment of usual and customary vendor services. None of the fictitious invoices were presented to me or any other board member for approval," Sigler said.

He says the scheme took place over the course of a year or more, and was discovered by their bank when they noticed a series of suspicious payments.

Sigler says the city will pursue every available option to recover the stolen funds. He says Steve Dolittle will serve as interim Executive Director and says that events at the center will continue as scheduled.

Shelly Baskin, WKMS

Read More

"Frito Bandido" bashes windows, steals snacks

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Recent thefts in Cape Girardeau are supporting Frito Lays’ potato chips slogan, "Betcha can’t eat just one."

Three trucks were burglarized at the company’s local facility last week.

The robberies happened on two separate occasions. Police say vending machine-sized bags of Lay’s Potato chips were the only stolen items.

Windows were smashed in all three trucks.

While there are no suspects for either break-in, Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesperson Darrin Hickey feels the same person or persons may be involved.

"We don’t know anything for sure, but I think that defiantly is a possibility with the similar set of circumstances. That the entry was gained in the same way, and that the only items missing on both instances are just the chips," Hickey said.

Hickey says he can’t fully understand the motive behind either of the break-ins.

"You got to think a window is probably worth a couple of hundred bucks. And chips are worth a few dollars," Hickey said. "So they are doing more damage to the vehicle then they are in what they are actually getting from the vehicle."

Tim Filla, KRCU

Read More

Cape PD reports few crimes over July 4 weekend

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Cape Girardeau city police officials say that the July 4th holiday did not bring a spike in crime reports.

Between June 27 to July 5, the public filed 99 fireworks complaints to the Cape P-D. 42 of those reported violations came on Independence Day, according to police spokesperson Darin Hickey. In many cases, the individuals using fireworks were doing nothing wrong.

“I would say that’s pretty typical of a Fourth of July weekend and pretty consistent with things we’ve seen in the past,” Hickey said.

In addition, the Cape Girardeau police did not make any alcohol-related arrest during the Fourth of July holiday.

“We definitely don’t want to read too much into the numbers, but it definitely appears to be that it was a good weekend,” Hickey said.

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department also reports no major holiday-related incidents over the weekend.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Read More

Cape County sheriff arrests suspect in convenience store robberies

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Department has arrested a man for allegedly robbing a pair of convenience stores in Fruitland.

Alex Curry is formally charged with two counts of a Class A Felony of Armed Robbery and one count of the Felony of Armed Criminal Action.

Alex Curry was arrested on Tuesday at noon. The robberies occurred the previous two Sunday mornings.

Curry is a being held at the Cape Girardeau County Justice Center in Jackson on $50,000 cash-only bail.

Read More

Gunman allegedly goes on crime spree

A crime spree that stretched from Fort Leonard Wood army base to Rolla is over.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol apprehended 31-year-old Cody Willcoxon early Thursday afternoon just outside Rolla.

Willcoxon allegedly attempted to get on the Fort Leonard Wood base and when denied… drove through the gate. He purportedly fled the base, engaged in a rolling gun battle with authorities on Interstate 44, then drove into Rolla.

Rolla police chief Mark Kearse says investigators have a lot of work to do.

"We need to trace all the bullets, the vehicles, then where his vehicle ended up crashing, of course that's a scene. There is where he stole the other vehicle and the occupants of that place and interviewing them and how he broke in, and the scene where he was captured," Kearse said.


Kearse says officials believe Willcoxson acted alone, and they do not yet have a motive. Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla was locked down for more than four hours.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

Read More