Photo: Kandace Newton. Photo: Courtesy Ozark County Sheriff’s Office
A woman accused of assisting an area man after he escaped from prison last year was able to avoid her own incarceration. Kandace Newton appeared in court March 9 in Ozark County and pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. According to the Ozark County Times, her plea bargain included a suspended sentence and five years probation, and the additional charge of hindering the prosecution of a felon was dismissed.
Jason Laird of Gainesville is serving seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a number of crimes in Ozark County. According to the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office, he escaped from his work detail at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia in June.
Later that month, the Ozark County/Douglas County Multijurisdictional Task Force received information of Laird being in the area. During the search, the team observed an individual, identified as Newton, with local warrants. They made contact with Newton at a residence and took her into custody. Drugs and other illegal substances were allegedly found at the home.
While at the residence, Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase reportedly observed Laird enter the residence. While searching for Laird, the team discovered he had escaped again.
A citizen later reported seeing Laird attempting to flag a ride north of Missouri Route N. The team responded to the area and located a male attempting to cross the road. The male was identified as Laird and taken into custody without incident.
The truck Laird allegedly stole from the Missouri Department of Transportation near the State Fairgrounds was recovered nearly 300 yards away from Newton’s residence in a wooded area. The tailgate had been spray-painted blue.
If Newton completes her probationary period without any violations, the charge can be removed from her record. If she does violate her probation, she would not necessarily be required to be incarcerated, but the charge would remain on her record.
The previous story of Newton’s arrest and Laird’s capture can be found here.
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