A partial trail of suspected stolen jewelry led Butler County authorities to a Williamsville man found hiding in a wooded area off of Kanell Boulevard on Monday night.
The location where Donald Wayne Sanders was found was about 100 yards away from the crashed Ford Ranger he and Marty Lewis Luke allegedly had fled from deputies in a short time earlier.
Authorities believe Sanders, 61, and Luke, 55, of Williamsville are responsible for a rash of burglaries in Butler County.
The burglaries, according to Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, have been spread throughout the county, but “here lately, it seems to be in the Broseley/Qulin area. We think they’re good for close to 15 burglaries.”
Through video surveillance at burglarized residences, as well as businesses, Dobbs said, a suspect was developed.
That suspect, the sheriff said, was identified as Luke.
“He’s known to us as a serial burglar,” Dobbs said. “We put him in prison about 10 years ago.”
Dobbs said Luke was released from prison in September.
“We’re not sure how far back he’s good for (on the burglaries), but we know the recent ones (he’s committed),” Dobbs explained. “Knowing his history, we believe he started burglarizing homes soon after he was released.”
Guns, jewelry and coins are “what he steals,” Dobbs said. “That’s always been his M.O. (modus operandi).”
Dobbs said the burglarized homes were forcibly entered, and the time of day also is “consistent to when he used to do it. Everything is very consistent with him.”
Luke, according to Dobbs, was “on camera” at a residence he allegedly was attempting to burglarize last week.
“At one point, his vehicle, a white Ford Ranger, extended cab, had been seen at one previous burglary,” Dobbs said.
Deputies have been looking for Luke since then.
At about 7 p.m. Monday, Dobbs said, he was at the Valley Plaza Shopping Center when he saw Luke leaving a business there.
“I conducted surveillance on him until I could get other investigators headed back to the general area,” Dobbs said. “We had one team in Ripley County looking for him” at that time.
Dobbs said he followed Luke’s Ford Ranger as it made a few stops and then pulled into a local motel on the north end of Poplar Bluff.
“We continued to watch the vehicle from across the street,” Dobbs explained. A short time later, “two male subjects got back in the vehicle and headed south on (Business) 67.”
Investigator Brandon Lowe, Lt. Charles Phelps and Cpl. Derek House tried to initiate a traffic stop on the truck as it neared the Three Rivers Boulevard intersection, Dobbs said.
“The vehicle stopped momentarily, but soon fled and a pursuit began,” Dobbs said. “All the while, jewelry, as well as firearms and narcotics, were being thrown from the vehicle while it was fleeing.”
The items, he said, allegedly were being thrown out the passenger side window.
“The vehicle then left at an extremely high rate of speed; it tried to make the turn and get onto Kanell Boulevard, but the rate of speed was too fast, and the vehicle didn’t successfully make the turn,” Dobbs said.
The driver, later identified as Luke, apparently lost control of his truck, which went across Kanell, hit a ditch and “vaulted into the air” on the south side of Kanell.
Dobbs said the truck came to rest after it was heavily damaged from the impact and landed about 100 yards off the road in a stand of crepe myrtle trees.
Both Luke and Sanders allegedly jumped from the truck and fled on foot as deputies gave chase.
“Marty Luke was taken into custody pretty close to where the vehicle came to rest,” Dobbs said. “His passenger and accomplice, Donald Sanders, fled on foot 100 yards, but was taken into custody by Cpl. Bo Skinner and Deputy Cody Wilson.
“There was a partial trail of jewelry items leading to the spot where Sanders was caught.”
Both Luke and Sanders were arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest. Sanders also was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property.
Both Luke and Sanders, Dobbs said, were transported to the Butler County jail.
Luke subsequently was taken to the emergency room for “observation for potential injuries from the vehicle accident,” Dobbs said.
Luke’s truck, he said, was seized as evidence and will be searched once a search warrant is obtained.
On Monday night, Dobbs said, the motel room where Luke and Sanders were staying was searched pursuant to a search warrant.
“The room contained an abundance of items stolen from recent burglaries,” Dobbs said. “The items included mostly jewelry; one stolen firearm was found.
“To give perspective of the amount of stolen property, both beds were covered in stolen jewelry. You couldn’t sit down on the bed without sitting on stolen items.”
All of the items reportedly were seized from the motel room.
“Now begins the egregious task of identifying the property and getting it back to the rightful owner,” Dobbs said.
A second search warrant, Dobbs said, was executed on a business in the 1900 block of North Westwood Boulevard.
“Stolen property was seized, as well as the video surveillance system,” Dobbs explained. “We believe the video surveillance will contain video evidence of the suspects bringing stolen property to the business.”