A Fairdealing, Mo., woman pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to a manslaughter charge in connection with her alleged role in the death of man whose body was found inside a trunk of an abandoned car.
Accompanied by her attorney, Erica Fox with the Public Defender's Office, Amber Rebeckah McDannald pleaded guilty as charged to the Class C felony of first-degree involuntary manslaughter before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett.
"I had offered to her a five-year prison sentence, and she took it, with agreement that the (unrelated) forgery case would be dismissed," explained Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher. "The charge I charged her with was basically what the evidence said.
"She didn't have many options at that point."
The complaint filed with the court had accused McDannald of recklessly causing the death of Norman Jones by leaving him tied in the trunk of a car.
McDannald, according to earlier reports, was with Edward William Weaver on Aug. 22, 2015, when he allegedly kidnapped 48-year-old Norman K. "Kane" Jones, who later was found bound and dead inside the trunk of his own Nissan Sentra.
According to Butler County Investigator Wes Popp's probable-cause statement, on Aug. 27, 2015, a deputy found a Nissan Sentra on County Road 355 near Harviell.
"The deputy discovered a body of a man in the trunk of the vehicle whose hands and feet were bound," Popp said. The body was identified as Jones.
During the investigation, Popp said, officers found several witnesses who placed Weaver and McDannald as having possession of the vehicle prior to its discovery by law enforcement.
McDannald reportedly was found in Carter County, detained and turned over to authorities in Butler County.
After being told of her rights, McDannald was interviewed.
"McDannald admitted she was in the Nissan Sentra with Weaver and Jones," Popp said. "She stated Weaver put a knife to the throat of Norman Jones, then tied him up and placed him in the trunk of the car."
McDannald, Popp said, further told officers the car had broken down on County Road 355 "with Jones still in the trunk."
Popp said McDannald reported she called a friend to pick up her and Weaver and they left.
"Norman Jones died as a result of being left in the trunk of the vehicle for approximately three days in the heat of summer," Popp said. "At no time did McDannald tell anyone of Jones being in the trunk of the car even though she had the opportunity."
At this time, Weaver is serving concurrent 20-year prison sentences after pleading guilty to the kidnapping and second-degree murder.