On Friday, July 24, detectives from the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office arrested an 18-year-old suspect in the recent case of institutional vandalism that occurred at the Pettis County Courthouse in Sedalia during the early morning hours of Saturday, July 4.
A release from Sheriff Kevin Bond says during that incident, a statute of a World War 1 “Doughboy” soldier was seriously damaged. The initial cost estimate for repair of the statue is in the thousands of dollars.
Since the report was initially made on July 6, detectives have worked to identify the parties responsible. On July 23, detectives made a break in the case and were able to identify the specific persons who were involved. This was made possible by numerous tips that had been submitted to the sheriff’s office by citizens in the community, as well as the cooperation of downtown merchants which provided surveillance video.
On July 24, the suspect was interviewed at the sheriff’s office. The investigation into this matter indicates that the memorial was not specifically targeted for vandalism or removal, but that the damage occurred when the suspect climbed up onto the memorial.
The suspect was arrested and was placed on a 24-hour hold, pending the filing of state charges. Charges of a Class D Felony for Institutional Vandalism are being sought with the Pettis County Prosecutor’s Office.