The former city collector of Mansfield is a free woman.
Brenda Keith's trial ended Monday (8-25) when the jury declared her not guilty.
Keith had been accused of stealing $25,000 from the city.
She was arrested in 2003 when a highway patrol investigation found $42,000 missing from the city.


This is a press release form the Missouri Highway Patrol issued at the time of her arrest:

Captain B.E. Chadwick, Commanding Officer of Troop G of the Missouri State Highway Patrol announces the following:

On Tuesday, November 26, 2003, Brenda J. Keith, 35, Mansfield, Missouri, was arrested on 7 counts of felony stealing in Wright County, Missouri.

The arrest followed an investigation conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control concerning Keith and her position as Mansfield City Collector. The investigation revealed an amount in excess of $42,000 taken from the city of Mansfield between September 2001 and September 2003.

Keith was arrested in Mansfield and transported to the Wright County Jail where she was processed and later released on bond.

The charges for which Keith is accused are mere accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.