Child sex abuse allegations against father, sons may turn into murder case (Bates City, Missouri)

Family patriarch BURRELL EDWARD MOHLER, SR. is charged with the systematic sexual abuse of the children in the family. His four adult sons are also charged. A possible homicide is suspected as well.

http://www.kansascity.com/703/story/1564393.html

Child sex abuse allegations may turn into a murder case
By DONALD BRADLEY
The Kansas City Star

LEXINGTON, Mo. They said they were just little girls trying to bury their horror in jars around the farm.

They wanted somebody to know what happened to them. So, according to authorities, the sisters wrote notes about the years of sexual abuse at the hands of older relatives and hid them in the earth.

Then the children — one was a boy — buried the pain and anguish within themselves.

Years would pass. But on Wednesday, authorities came to the farm south of Bates City, Mo., to dig for the notes — and possibly a body.

With a man and his middle-aged sons in jail, investigators descended onto the rural property looking for evidence of rape, sodomy, bestiality and possible homicide.

According to court documents, Burrell Edward Mohler Sr., 77, of Independence, allegedly presided over the abuse that included “mock weddings” in which one of the girls would marry a relative before the two would head to the chicken coop for privacy.

“You all have some fun,” Mohler reportedly then told them, pulling a blanket over the open door.
Four of Mohler’s sons are also charged: Burrell Edward Mohler Jr., 53, also of Independence; Jared Leroy Mohler, 48, of Columbia; Roland Neil Mohler, 47, of Bates City; and David A. Mohler, 52, of Iowa.

According to the charges, each of the men participated in the abuse of the children — all younger than 12.

Three of the men arrested this week were members of the Community of Christ lay priesthood: Burrell Mohler Sr., David Mohler and Jared Mohler.

The priesthood licenses of all three were suspended Wednesday morning, said Linda Booth, church communications director.

“None of the three had any leadership roles, nor did they have any active roles as volunteers with children or youth,” she said.

All five defendants were arrested Tuesday in coordinated raids for multiple charges of forcible sodomy and rape after one of the alleged victims, now 26, related grim stories, such as being forced with other children to line up on their knees on a bed where each was assaulted by the men.

Lafayette County Prosecutor Kellie Ritchie said the defendants were expected to appear in court today.

Authorities say the woman suppressed the memories for years, but came forward to Independence police in mid-August with accusations of sexual torment that ran between 1988 — when she was 5 years old — and 1995 — when she had an abortion.

“It was a very horrendous crime, and we took it very seriously at that point,” said Lafayette County Sheriff Kerrick Alumbaugh.

The woman, 26, is fearful of the male relatives who participated. Five other alleged victims, now in their 20s and 30s, have since come forward with information supporting her claims, according to court documents.

Investigators also see a “strong possibility” of more victims, Alumbaugh said at a press conference Wednesday in Lexington.

So is finding a body, Alumbaugh said.

“Indications are that an individual or individuals were killed,” the sheriff said, declining to comment further.

The five men were charged with 14 felonies, including forcible sodomy and forcible rape with a child less than 12 years old and use of a child in a sexual performance. The sheriff said he expected more charges to be filed.

Authorities could be seen Wednesday handling sniffer dogs, probing the soil and using machinery to dig close to a house at the intersection of Concord Church Road and Old Concord Road, south of Bates City. One of the Mohler sons bought the property from his father in 1995, but the land is now owned by a man who is unconnected to the case.

Alice Mohler, the wife of Burrell Mohler Sr., died in December 1991. Her obituary indicates the family had moved from Independence to near Bates City in 1973. A neighbor said the Mohler family left that property about 10 years ago. She said the family largely kept to themselves.

“Right now what our main focus is the glass jars and trying to locate them,” said Cpl. Bill Lowe of the Missouri Highway Patrol. “Those jars have that information.”

He said several acres of land at the location about 20 miles east of Kansas City would be searched.

“They were told by adults in the family that if they bury their bad memories, they will go away,” Sgt. Collin Stosberg of the Missouri Highway Patrol told the Columbia Daily Tribune.

The woman who came forward alleged that the abuse against her began at age 5, when the girls were forced to “rotate” sleeping in the same bed as the senior Mohler.

The victim alleged the girls wore special dresses and had flowers in their hair for their “weddings.” In one such occasion, the woman said she was married to another of the men and had sex with him in a camper outside. She said her abortion occurred before her 12th birthday.
The abuse occurred at other places than the Old Concord Road property, including out of the state, the woman alleged.

Some of the abuse allegedly involved the boy.

Alumbaugh believed other victims are not currently known to investigators. “This is why we are coming to you,” he told reporters, adding that anyone with information should call either 660-259-6789 or 816-474-TIPS.

“This investigation is in the very early stage,” he added. “Our primary concern is the victims.”

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department is working with the Rural Missouri Major Case Squad and the Highway Patrol, as well as the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Deborah Burris, who has lived across the street from Burrell Mohler Sr. for several years, described him as a friendly, helpful neighbor. “We didn’t even know he had sons. We didn’t know anyone but Burrell himself,” Burris said.

Burrell Edward Mohler Jr. reportedly served as an Independence firefighter.

Roland Mohler works as a paramedic for the Saline County Ambulance District.

Columbia police seized a computer and discs from Jared Mohler’s home on Tuesday, police spokeswoman Jessie Haden said. He was arrested at work at a Carfax vehicle history office.
David Mohler, who has worked for Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, for 27 years, was arrested on its Independence campus, which he periodically visited to work on the phone systems there.

“Police came in and put handcuffs on him and led him away,” said John Sellars, university president. “It was all very quiet and subdued.”

“We were stunned,” Sellars said. “At this point these are allegations, and of course we need to hear more because I don’t know very much at this point.” He said that he spoke to David Mohler’s wife Tuesday and that she also was shocked.

Sellars described him as “a very nice person who got along well with his colleagues.”