June 30, 2023 – An Excelsior Springs business owner, Melynda Casey (46), is at the center of a child abuse investigation that has sent shockwaves through the community. Probable cause statements filed by the Ray County Sheriff’s Department revealed graphic accounts from Casey’s children that implicate long-term abuse and wanton neglect.
The initial investigation began on the evening of June 12, 2023, when Ray County Sheriff’s Deputy Shannon Case spoke with Casey at her home in Polo, MO. Casey had reported her 15-year-old daughter (identified throughout public records was MRS) missing following a heated argument. According to Casey’s account, the argument erupted over MRS sneaking food into her room, which in turn led to MRS threatening to run away. However, as the investigation unfolded, a much more disturbing narrative emerged.
The following day, June 13, 2023, Lead Investigator Detective Celeste Kaiser, interviewed MRS’s sister, Adriana Segar (26) regarding the possible whereabouts of MRS. During the interview, Segar disclosed a history of abuse allegedly perpetrated by Casey against not only MRS but against Casey’s other children as well.
Segar revealed that she had fled to her father’s care when she was around 16 or 17 years old due to the purported abuse from her mother. Moreover, Segar described witnessing instances where Casey physically assaulted MRS and MRS’s sister, identified as simply MS (16). In one incident Segar recalled Casey pulling MS’s hair, throwing her to the ground, repeatedly kicking her in the stomach, and hitting her face as she begged Casey to stop.
On one occasion, while teaching MRS the alphabet, Segar said she witnessed Casey using a belt with metal pieces to strike MRS’s foot whenever she made a mistake. Segar recalled that the next day, MRS’s foot was so swollen that she could not fit into her shoes.
Segar also said in her statement that while growing up in the home, when the other children were at school and Casey was at work, Casey would confine MRS and MS in the basement. During this time, Segar said the children were left alone with only a small television and a plastic toilet and stayed in the basement until everyone returned home. At that point, Casey would release them from their confinement.
The gravity of the investigation intensified when MRS was discovered later that day at a Walmart in Richmond, Missouri, on June 13, 2023, accompanied by Jeffrey Myers (57). Myers was placed on a 24-hour hold and later released while MRS was subsequently transported to Synergy Services for an Emergency Forensic Interview. During the interview, MRS disclosed the extent of the abuse she claims to have endured at the hands of Casey. MRS provided a detailed account leading up to her running away that included hair pulling, hair cutting, shoving, spitting, forced feeding, stomping, and verbal degradation. After the interview, MRS was transported to Children’s Mercy Hospital where she was evaluated and released into the care of her father. Visible injuries, such as bruising on MRS’s arm, face, and scalp, were documented by Children’s Mercy Hospital.
On June 14, 2023, Detective Celeste Kaiser, Lieutenant Andrea McElroy, and a Children’s Division Worker conducted a follow-up interview with Casey at the Ray County Sheriff’s Office. During the interview, Detective Kaiser requested Casey to again recount the events leading up to MRS running away. However, Casey declined to retell the story, stating that she had already provided the information the previous day.
When deputies shared the accusations presented by MRS, Casey denied all allegations of physically assaulting or threatening MRS. When asked about her feelings regarding MRS making these accusations, Casey expressed being ‘heartbroken.’ When presented with the photos of injuries to MRS, Casey mentioned to the interviewers that MRS and MS had engaged in a physical altercation over the weekend, and there had been a separate incident involving MRS crashing a go-kart into a tree the prior Thursday. When asked if MRS had reported any injuries resulting from these incidents, Casey claimed that MRS had not mentioned any.
In light of the distressing allegations and the corroborating evidence, Detective Kaiser decided to place Melynda Casey under a 24-hour hold, pending formal charges. On June 15, 2023, the Ray County Circuit Court’s Associate Division officially filed charges against Casey.
The complaint alleges that Casey, knowingly caused physical injury to a child victim through the abusive actions of pulling her hair, pulling her nose, and stomping on her. If convicted, Casey could face a range of punishment, including 1 to 7 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, up to 1 year in the County Jail, and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
It is important to note that these charges are official but should be regarded as accusations until proven in a court of law.
Casey appeared in court on June 20, 2023, and pled not guilty to all charges. After posting bond she was released and has attempted to resume a normal routine while she awaits her first trial. She is scheduled to appear at the Ray Circuit Division on July 25, 2023, at 1:30 PM.
The Excelsior Citizen reached out to Casey’s attorney, Tim Tipton who explained that he could not provide a statement at this time, as he has not received all the evidence pertaining to the case. “The truth will come out,” said Tipton. “It always does.”
**The information presented in this article has been obtained from publicly available documents, including the Probable Cause Statement filed by the Ray County Sheriff’s Department and the official charges outlined in the Circuit Court of Ray County, Missouri Associate Division Complaint. Every effort has been made to accurately report the details provided in these sources.
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