Dad tortures Mom to death in front of two kids; mom had filled for divorce, order of protection (Ozark, Missouri)

Horrendous...yet was absolutely preventable. Fathers with past histories of violence are ESPECIALLY dangerous after the mother has left. That is why the authorities need to keep these guys locked up and away from the mother and children.

Dad is identified as AARON WAYNE CLEMONS.

http://www.hngn.com/articles/34544/20140625/missouri-man-charged-gagging-beating-wife-before-killing.htm

Missouri Man Charged for Torturing and Beating his Wife to Death

By Vishakha Sonawane | Jun 25, 2014 07:09 AM EDT

A Missouri man beat his wife to death and set his Ozark, Missouri, home on fire to cover up. He was arrested and charged with murder, Monday.

Aaron Wayne Clemons, 31, gagged and beat his wife Bailey Clemons Saturday, June 14. Their two children, a 6-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, were at home and witnessed their father hitting their mother.

Clemons' house at 205 E. McCracken Road in Ozark was burned June 16, Monday. Stone County police said they initially believed the house was empty when the fire broke out. However, upon investigation the authorities recovered the body of Bailey. They found she was gagged with a sock, tied behind her head and the authorities also found a belt around her neck. Christian County coroner Brad Cole said that DNA results confirmed the dead body was that of Bailey Clemons, reports OzarksFIRST.com.

According to the police statement, Clemons called 911 Monday and said he was injured in a fire. Following this, he was taken to Springfield Hospital. Authorities said Clemons apparently told the hospital officials that he set the house on fire to cover up Bailey's death. He was arrested at the hospital.

Upon interrogation, Clemons told police that his children were at the camp ground in Stone County. During that time, he said, he tied his wife to the pole in the basement and set the house on fire after she died. He also told the officials that he did not know the cause of her death.

KSDK.com reports, the probable cause statement shows that Clemons said he "taped his wife's whole body to a pole by wrapping her around her feet, knees, butt, jaw and head with boxing tape in the basement." He talked to her for a while and went upstairs to get some ice. He saw Bailey dead after he returned.

The statement further read that the state Fire Marshal investigator found two melted gasoline containers near the body in the basement of the house.

Clemons is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, armed criminal action, arson and several counts of child endangerment.

The children told the investigators that their father tortured their mother. They said their mother came home Saturday morning and their father talked to her. Shortly after, they began fighting. The children said their dad was "sitting on her (mother) and beating her."

The daughter said she heard "her mom crying and her dad hitting her mom and her mom saying 'I'm bleeding,' 'I'm bleeding' and her 'daddy said it's going to get worser.'" The little girl then said she saw her father forcing her mother to the basement. She said her mom told her to inform the neighbors and get the police; but her father told the two children to go to their rooms, reports KY3.

The daughter then "described the defendant yanking her mom down to the basement and that she could hear him putting the duct tape on her mom and her mom screaming."

According to the court records, Bailey filed for divorce from Clemons in April, 2013. The case had been on hold since June, 2013. In 2010, she sought a protection order against Clemons in Green County. She had told the authorities that he assaulted her in March at their Ozark home.