Police identify man suspected of robbing store
Prosecutor charges Kory Wakefield with robbery, armed criminal action
By TERESA RESSEL
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Updated: Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:46 PM CST
Updated: Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:46 PM CST
Kory Lyn Wakefield
On Thursday, St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Wendy Wexler Horn charged 19-year-old Kory Lyn Wakefield of Farmington with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
His bond was set at $100,000. Each charge carries a maximum of 30 years to life in prison.
Bonne Terre Police Chief Doug Calvert said a little after 10 p.m. Wednesday, Wakefield approached a female employee on the parking lot as she was leaving with the nightly deposit.
Calvert said the man displayed a gun and demanded money. According to the probable cause statement, the employee threw the money bags at him after he threatened to shoot her.
“The employee immediately handed the money over,” he said. “I commend her for keeping her head. She was able to provide a very good description.”
The woman was able to tell police that the man left in a blue Dodge SUV and headed south of Bonne Terre. Desloge, Park Hills and Leadington police immediately began searching for the vehicle.
Calvert said a Desloge police officer spotted the vehicle and pulled it over on U.S. 67 just south of Desloge.
“He exited the vehicle without resistance,” Calvert said.
Inside the vehicle, police found bank bags with receipts from Country Mart and the gun.
The man was taken to the police department where Lt. Chris Thurman questioned him. Calvert said the man confessed and said no one else was involved.
Calvert commends the employee and all of the police officers involved. He said because of the quick response by police officers and the employee’s description, the robbery was wrapped up within 40 minutes.
“If something bad like this is going to happen, it went as good as it could,” he said. The suspect was caught, the money was recovered and no one was hurt.
He said with the economy the way it is and with the holidays coming up, people are getting desperate. He said their department has been stepping up patrols around businesses, especially around closing time.
He encourages businesses to ask for a police escort to the bank. He said it is a service they provide.
Wakefield made headlines last September when he told police that someone abducted him at gunpoint as he was heading to school at Central. He said the man ordered him to drive to Columbia. The man later changed his mind and said to drive him to Kirksville.
Wakefield said he crashed his white Ford F250 into a tree in a Macon County conservation area to get away from the abductor. He said he pretended to be unconscious and he saw a red vehicle pick up the man minutes later.
After the men left, he said he called 911. Wakefield had hunted in the area a few years before so he was able to provide directions for police to pick him up.
The truck was processed for evidence and a drawing of the abductor by an amateur artist was released to the Daily Journal. That case is still open.
Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com
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Article Comments (32)The comments below are from readers and do not represent the views of the Daily Journal.
T-Bone posted at Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Saint Louis, are you lost? Shouldn't you be on the Stltoday current affairs forum with all of your Liberal Communist Buddies? Even know there are plenty of people who vote Democratic down here, don't be fooled into thinking they support your left wing ideas. They most vote that way because their Daddies did. Most around this part of the state are fairly conservative, even if they won't admit that fact.
kgirl1515 posted at Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 4:24 am
Saint Louis
Let me just tell you something okay...Yea the war may be pointless, we may not know the real reasons why the military is over there but let me tell you something THE MILITARY IS NOT POINTLESS!!! My husband is in the military and I sacrifice everything with him and he sacrfices everything with me to FIGHT for your freedom. You should learn some respect, the military holds our country together, and keeps us safe! You want to dog them? Seriously, do you want to know how hard it is to be a military wife? Do you wanna know how hard it is to be in the military?I will never be able to explain to you how hard the military lifestyle is, but ill tell you one thing im proud of my husband for fighting for my freedom, cause theres people like you who are cowards who wouldnt do it.So quit dissing on the military it has nothing to do with this situation!
Let me just tell you something okay...Yea the war may be pointless, we may not know the real reasons why the military is over there but let me tell you something THE MILITARY IS NOT POINTLESS!!! My husband is in the military and I sacrifice everything with him and he sacrfices everything with me to FIGHT for your freedom. You should learn some respect, the military holds our country together, and keeps us safe! You want to dog them? Seriously, do you want to know how hard it is to be a military wife? Do you wanna know how hard it is to be in the military?I will never be able to explain to you how hard the military lifestyle is, but ill tell you one thing im proud of my husband for fighting for my freedom, cause theres people like you who are cowards who wouldnt do it.So quit dissing on the military it has nothing to do with this situation!
little16 posted at Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Hey saintlouis..."without" is one word not two. Ever heard if you live in a glass house you shouldn't throw stones??? Just something to consider!!!
eornut posted at Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 8:24 am
saintlouis
Lets get something straight !! I am not a fan of any war myself but I and many other Americans have a loved one or a friend who is or has been over sea's to fight the terroist and find that jerk who is behind 9-11 !!
And if you was so smart to have moved away from St. Francois then why bother to read about us ? And finally NO, your not right because nobody is ever right about anything !!
Lets get something straight !! I am not a fan of any war myself but I and many other Americans have a loved one or a friend who is or has been over sea's to fight the terroist and find that jerk who is behind 9-11 !!
And if you was so smart to have moved away from St. Francois then why bother to read about us ? And finally NO, your not right because nobody is ever right about anything !!
joe_63640 posted at Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
to 'saintlouis';
Not that I completely DISagree with you, but some of your points are a bit too 'Polyanna' for us in the real world.
When you said war and the military are "pointless" I noticed you did so in English, instead of the pure speech of Deutchland that Der Fueher had in mind for you. Wanna know why it's in English?
I will however echo other wiser words,
" There never was a good war, or a bad peace"
As far as local news and our ever notable Wakefields;
well, just let me say - his name isn't "Cleadus Wakefield"...
- It's "Cledith"...
- in the name of God, Country and St Francois County,
Learn to Spell !
Not that I completely DISagree with you, but some of your points are a bit too 'Polyanna' for us in the real world.
When you said war and the military are "pointless" I noticed you did so in English, instead of the pure speech of Deutchland that Der Fueher had in mind for you. Wanna know why it's in English?
I will however echo other wiser words,
" There never was a good war, or a bad peace"
As far as local news and our ever notable Wakefields;
well, just let me say - his name isn't "Cleadus Wakefield"...
- It's "Cledith"...
- in the name of God, Country and St Francois County,
Learn to Spell !
saintlouis posted at Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
1 | People of Saint Francois County; please learn how to spell!
2 | Anyone that believed Kory was actually abducted and held hostage on a impromptu road trip by that amateur artist representation of a criminal and then have Cleadus Wakefield back it up are probably the same people that watch FOX news and believe a word they say.
3 | The war is pointless, all war is pointless. The military is pointless. The REAL heroes are those that are going to third world countries bringing clean drinking water to the billions with out, and helping those less fortunate in their community.
4 | Don't do drugs! We all know that non-existent land in the area where people live will cause kids to do this, but not all of us end up that way. Some of us were smart enough to move away!
5 | Don't hate me because I am right!
2 | Anyone that believed Kory was actually abducted and held hostage on a impromptu road trip by that amateur artist representation of a criminal and then have Cleadus Wakefield back it up are probably the same people that watch FOX news and believe a word they say.
3 | The war is pointless, all war is pointless. The military is pointless. The REAL heroes are those that are going to third world countries bringing clean drinking water to the billions with out, and helping those less fortunate in their community.
4 | Don't do drugs! We all know that non-existent land in the area where people live will cause kids to do this, but not all of us end up that way. Some of us were smart enough to move away!
5 | Don't hate me because I am right!
little16 posted at Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I can honestly say my 19 year old son knows that if he did something like this he wouldn't get a once of support from me. Maybe because he knows this, it would keep him from considering something like this...I'm speaking very generally hear. Our kids (all of our kids, not just mine) know what kind of support they'll get. I don't know this family and can't say how they are handling this, but a lot of parents would be trying to hire the best attorney they could afford or even mortgage their home to try to lesson his punishment. If our kids believe that we believe in fair and true justice, and wouldn't help them out of a mess this big that they created, then maybe they wouldn't get into them in the first place. Kory getting so much support on his obvious fact abduction likely did more harm than good. If we teach our kids they'll have to pay for their own mistakes, and we don't bash their teachers every time little Jonny does poorly in school and hold them and us as parents accountable we'll be better served.
raiderman posted at Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Maybe he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress from his abduction by gunpoint last year. Glad to read that case is still open. I will not be able to sleep well until they catch him, and we know what he looks like so we still have a chance.
riverrat420 posted at Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
ribeye,I agree. trust me, there is an extreme outrage that brews in my blood for the kids and young men dying everyday in vain in 2 wars that they dont even know the true reasons that they are there, but most of my anger is held for the corrupt leaders and politicians of our country that have sent these young ones to their deaths.I remember plain as day being 20 years old back in March of '03, getting off watch at 6pm and watching the news and seeing first images of the invasion of iraq, feeling a wave of more emotions than i knew i had and tears filling up my eyes as i realized that ppl my age and younger are exchanging fire with other ppl and dying in a war and place that i couldnt understand why we invading. I remember those feelings all to well. I feel the same way when i think about the seeming inevitable revolution that America is spiraling towards.
I agree, the world is going to hell with a quickness and values have all about gone out the window.
Any Ideas on how to turn our fate around?
I agree, the world is going to hell with a quickness and values have all about gone out the window.
Any Ideas on how to turn our fate around?
ribeye posted at Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 2:08 pm
River R - I certainly get your drift on what it takes to be a man at 19.
Same applies to kids going oversees UNDER 19 - Wheres' the outrage there for them?
Not YOURS in particular....but just most people in general -
No one seems to give a fiddlers fig, but up in arms over this (?) please!
Priories seems to be up side down these days.
Feeling sorry for a person putting a loaded gun to someones head to rob them:) and yet whistling dixie while kids overseas are dying daily
DON'T GET IT
But then I don't get a lot of things....
This President was SUPPOSE to bring the kids home from war.....instead we have two wars now .
Thank you very much, ONE TERMER
Ain't right and ain't left - just like to see some jusitce some where, sometime, someday by somebody!
Hope I live long enough, but got my doubts. This ole world is going to hell in a hand basket.
Same applies to kids going oversees UNDER 19 - Wheres' the outrage there for them?
Not YOURS in particular....but just most people in general -
No one seems to give a fiddlers fig, but up in arms over this (?) please!
Priories seems to be up side down these days.
Feeling sorry for a person putting a loaded gun to someones head to rob them:) and yet whistling dixie while kids overseas are dying daily
DON'T GET IT
But then I don't get a lot of things....
This President was SUPPOSE to bring the kids home from war.....instead we have two wars now .
Thank you very much, ONE TERMER
Ain't right and ain't left - just like to see some jusitce some where, sometime, someday by somebody!
Hope I live long enough, but got my doubts. This ole world is going to hell in a hand basket.
theboys2 posted at Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
To re-address asiseeit, You obviously did not proof read your comment before you sent it, and you want to comment on me misspelling his name. Cory or Kory (that is a big difference, yet it still spells the same name). LOL
asiseeit posted at Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 8:17 am
To riverrat...Thank you! finally someone who understands that just because you are 19 makes you and adult.....To theboys2..maybe if you had read what I wrote there would be no need to address you. Never once did i say Kory..(notice the correct spelling)..did not commit the crime nor should he be punished..I simply said he will always be a kid to me and my heart was with his family.
kgirl1515 posted at Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 2:04 am
I have known Kory pretty much forever. I was a year ahead of him in school. To hear this was shocking but at the same time it wasnt. The only thing shocking about it was that he thought he could actually get away with it. Im so tired of people talking about this as if it wasnt his fault he did it. Come on now he held a gun to someones head. Imagine if that was your son, daughter, brother, or sister. How would you feel about it then, just because you know him and have known him forever doesnt mean that he did not do it. No one was there holding a gun to his head forcing him to do it. I cant believe all the support people are giving to him. I can understand supporting his family but not him seriously what if something had went wrong what if he pulled the trigger. Would you guys be saying that he just deserves the least amount of punishment then. And to you guys who say we dont know the whole story well we know he did it he confessed we just dont know what was going threw his head
riverrat420 posted at Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 8:23 pm
theboys2, you must have misread my post. I said i dont advocate what this kid did, and that he SHOULD BE punished accordingly for the serious crime he committed. However, i dont feel that just because hes 19 that hes a full blown adult. He is loosely classified as an adult by law, but even the law only seems to recognize 18-20 year old kids as adults when its convenient. True, he can die in combat, vote, drive, ect, but can he by law drink? Can he gamble in a casino? Because unless im mistaken, the last time i checked, the Law states that at 19 a person is not yet matured mentally into an adult enough to do those things. Now you and several others at 19 may have been fully mature, but the majority of kids around here that age arnt, hence the 100's of them in our area that don't have jobs, cars, drivers licenses, still live with mom and dad, ect and no ambition to do anything about any of the above. Just because the law says hes an adult in one instance doesn't necessarily mean he is in all areas.
theboys2 posted at Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 3:16 pm
To address riverrat420, There are many 19 year olds that are adults, if you are old enough to die in combat for your country than you are old enough to stand trial for armed robbery. He's an adult!!! OMG I can not believe how many people keep calling him a kid, at age 19 I had two children, my spouse & I raised them both, and both are very good law abiding sons. They are and always will be my KIDS, however at age 18 both were adults and taught to make adult decisions, neither has ever held anyone at gun point and threatened to shoot them if they did not turn over money! Wow...make him be held accountable for his actions, quit making excuses for his actions....there are 12 year olds that commit crimes that are being tried as adults (I am not saying that I necessarily agree with that) but when you are 19 years of age you ARE AN ADULT!!!
riverrat420 posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I dont advocate what this kid by any means. The crime he committed is a very serious offense and for that he should be punished accordingly. I would however like to bring a relevant fact to everyone's attention, though. Yes this kid is 19, and by law that does mean he is an adult, but there are not many 19 year old kids nowadays who are truly adults in a mental sense. at 19, most young men are just as immature as they were at 14 or 15. It is a proven fact that most males in this day and age dont fully mature mentally until they are age 24-28. Im living proof. At 19, I had a son that i was going through the process of setting child support on,had not been unemployed since age 15,and was the time working a job that starts out paying more than what ppl who had been at the glassfactory for over 10 years made, had my own place, car paid for, the whole 9 yards. But i was in no way mature in the way that i am now. Maturity didnt come for me until i was about 24.
S&M posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
In response to safety. There was more than one leaving the store and they were together. They had each others back. My child was one of Country Mart's employees! They left together. You can speculate all you want about parents should do this and that but you don't know the situation. Every one is different. I do not blame parents. He is 19!! At 19 I had responsibilities. My child means EVERYTHING to me, both of them, so I can understand how his parents feel, but I also know how I feel and how the parents of the other employees feel. Also in response to give him compasion-DID HE GIVE COMPASION WHEN HE POINTED THAT GUN? NO!!!!!!!!!! I do believe "DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE TO YOU"
22LuLu22 posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
He did it.. THe girl that he took the money from said it was him... The money and gun was found in his truck.. He confessed? What more is there to day!... Now he must pay!...
Maybe if someone would have noticed the RED FLAG that came up when he said he was abducted (that story did not make sense in the least), this would not have happened... HMM!...
Maybe if someone would have noticed the RED FLAG that came up when he said he was abducted (that story did not make sense in the least), this would not have happened... HMM!...
bt_marine posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Maybe he was going to take it to the bank and deposit it for them? What a winner....
eyeswideopen posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Sounds like someone wanted to take another cross-country road trip, couldn't afford it, and wasn't cute enough to get abducted again.
jamall posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
This young man formerly worked at Country Mart, so I'm sure he knew the routine at closing.
theboys2 posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
to address asiseeit, I believe that may be part of this young ADULT'S problem, everyone associated with him....treat, protect and think of him as a kid...he is an ADULT. The only "victim" is the young lady that was robbed at gun point....she was doing the adult thing "working", maybe if Cory did more of that "working" he would not have time to commit armed robbery....he was found driving the vehicle used by the robber....with the money....bank bags....receipts....gun...matching the description of the assailant.....not to mention he confessed....I don't believe it will be hard to get a conviction on this case....unless they turn the investigation over to Leadington PD....(I know they can't do that...I am being a smart aleck).
22LuLu22 posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
He is NOT a kid, he's and adult and knew exactly what he was doing. There is not need to play the blame game.. IT WAS ALL HIM!.. Its cut and dry, simple as can be.. He did it, the girl employee stated that it was him, the money and gun was found in his vehicle, he confessed? Its not rocket sicence people... Im just waiting for the "insanity plea"... That would be the cherry on top of the cake!..
sfbrame posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:58 am
mobigdog,
There doesn't have to have been anyone else involved. If he watched when the store closed for a few days, he would know their routine. I used to work at one of the big retail stores and they always callled the police for an escort. If on those nights when they weren't available to come, they would wait until all the other employees were ready to leave and everyone would walk out together and then follow the person to the bank and stay until the deposit was made.
As the article says they need to start getting a police escort and also changing how they carry out the deposits, such as put them in differnt bags inside of a bag, go out different doors, etc.
There doesn't have to have been anyone else involved. If he watched when the store closed for a few days, he would know their routine. I used to work at one of the big retail stores and they always callled the police for an escort. If on those nights when they weren't available to come, they would wait until all the other employees were ready to leave and everyone would walk out together and then follow the person to the bank and stay until the deposit was made.
As the article says they need to start getting a police escort and also changing how they carry out the deposits, such as put them in differnt bags inside of a bag, go out different doors, etc.
asiseeit posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:50 am
For those of us who do know Kory and have watched him grow up with our kids, he is still a kid. I don't care if he is 50...to me he will still be the same little Kory. My heart is with his parents in this time of need. God Bless you Katrina & Sonny....Lisa Lawson
Apnatic posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:50 am
to mobigdog--I believe most businesses make a night deposit upon closing; he did not need help to observe maybe previous to the escapde to see what happened. Sounds as if he needs help.
Pray for him and his family.
Pray for him and his family.
mobigdog posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Hate to say, but this just does not add up that he worked this alone. How did he just happen to be in that parking lot, armed and ready to rob that young lady? Did he know they did a bank drop at night and if so, who told him? Not to take sides, but there surely has to be someone else in on this!!!
moaussie posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:02 am
A wise person once told me, "Karma may be slow in coming, but it always catches up..." Tis true.
theboys2 posted at Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I keep reading these blogs...and everyone says he is a good kid...sorry...but he is not a kid...he is an adult....I have a 19 year old...he is an adult...he has a job...his own place...his own car...goes to college full time....has never been in trouble....never been arrested...never did an armed robbery...never pretended to be abducted...maybe my son stays to busy being an adult and not being a kid any longer....I feel sorry for the KIDS that work at Country Mart that will not forget this happening to them....if it was my son or daughter I would be outraged at Kory...maybe if he would have gotten in trouble for the previous incident he would not be doing this now....just my opinion.
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