The two men charged in the rape and murder of a 9 year old girl from Stella had their first court appearance today in Barry County.

Rowan Ford was taken from her home in Stella 11 days ago, raped and killed, and her body dumped in a sinkhole. Her step-dad and his friend are charged with the crime.

KSPR News has learned there may have been opportunities to save her life.

We learned today someone made at least one phone call about Rowan Ford to the State Abuse Hotline. We don't know when the call was made.

The East Newton School District superintendent confirmed that someone from the district made a hotline call about Rowan and that the district followed procedures required for mandated reporters.

KSPR has filed an open records request with the state for the file on Rowan Ford.

Today, the Department of Social Services would not confirm or deny Rowan having a file.

The state has 3 days to respond, but could still turn down our open-records request.

The men accused of Rowan's death were in court today for the first time.

After being brought into the courtroom shackled and handcuffed, both David Spears and Chris Collings pleaded not guilty to murder, rape and statutory rape of Rowan Ford.

Both men applied for public defenders.

The prosecutor said it's too early to say if he will pursue the death penalty in this case.

The Newton County prosecutor says these men will also face kidnapping charges in his county, but those will probably not come until the murder case in Barry County is finished.