Rowan's stepfather, David Wesley Spears, faces charges of Murder in the First Degree, Forcible Rape, and Statutory Rape in the First Degree. Spears' friend, Christopher Leroy Collings, faces the same charges.


THE FOLLOWING IS A FAIRLY GRAPHIC EXERPT AND SHOULD BE READ WITH CAUTION. THIS IS FROM THE PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT RELEASED SATURDAY:

On November 9, 2007, at approximately 1730 hours, I, Chief Deputy Chris Jennings, conducted an interview of David Wesley Spears at the Newton County Sheriff's Department regarding the disappearance and murder of Rowan Ford. David Spears stated that on the night of November 2, 2007, into the morning of November 3, 2007, he participated in the sexual assault of his 9-year-old stepdaughter, Rowan Ford [at 777 Grove St. Stella, MO, Newton County]. The location is the home of Chris Collings, a friend of David Spears. David Spears provided that he arrived at the above-listed location and observed Collings sexually assaulting the child in the home. Spears decribed how he pulled his pants down, got on top of Rowan Ford, and sexually penetrated the child. David Spears continued to state that after he sexually assaulted Rowan Ford, he took a cord and wrapped it around the child's neck. David Spears provided that he stood directly over the child, facing her, and wrapped the curtain cord around her neck, choking her.

David Spears indicated that he, along with Chris Collings, put Rowan Ford into David Spears' Chevy Suburban and proceeded to a cave located near Fox Cemetery in McDonald County. David Spears watched Collings take the body of Rowan Ford into the cave, and return out without the child.

On November 9, 2007, a female child's body was recovered from a cave located near Fox Cemetery in McDonald County. The child's body showed trauma indicating sexual abuse and appeared to be strangulated.

--from the probable cause affidavit, signed on Friday, November 9