Alleged murderer Manetzke released from jail by Judge Blankenship

Aurora woman accused of killing four, wounding six with car granted bond, put on house arrest during cancer fight
Nine months after she allegedly killed four people and seriously injured six by driving into a group of motorcyclists, Theresa Manetzke has been released from jail. Manetzke, 52, of Aurora, was granted a bond reduction order on Wednesday, March 13, by Judge Alan Blankenship, lowering her bond to $500,000; she had previously been held without bond. Manetzke posted a corporate surety bond and left the Lawrence County Jail on Friday, March 15. She’d been held at the jail since allegedly running into the motorcyclists on June 3, 2023.
Bond reduction hearing held
Manetzke’s release came about a week after a bond reduction hearing held on Friday, March 8, at the Barry County Justice Center, to which Manetzke’s case had been moved on a change of venue in December. In his motion requesting the bond reduction order, Manetzke’s attorney, Tyson Martin, argued that Manetzke, who is suffering from Stage Four Metastatic Cancer, should be released on the grounds that, while she was in custody, her Medicaid had expired, and she was ineligible to renew it while in jail. He also said that her future appointments with her surgeons and oncologists would be cancelled for lack of coverage, and that the Lawrence County Jail would not pay for her treatment. Martin also cited Missouri Supreme Court Rule 33.01, which he said mandated that Manetzke be given bond.
During the hearing, he told Blankenship that a “cascade of conditions” could be imposed on Manetzke to ensure that she makes it court and that any interruption in her care could be a danger to her.
Parrigon stated Manetzke receiving treatment in jail, is a flight risk
Darlene Parrigon, Lawrence County prosecuting attorney, objected to Manetzke’s release. She argued that Manetzke was receiving her medical treatment in jail and also argued that she was a flight risk, due to the multiple charges of second degree murder she is facing.
“If she is released,” Parrigon said, “she has no incentive to come back.”
Parrigon called Lt. Doug Bounous, Lawrence County Jail commander, to the stand, who said that Manetzke had received all her medication and been taken to treatment. He said that she had been without her pain medication for two weeks due to it being on back order, but that had since been remedied. On cross examination, Martin had Bounous read an excerpt from an email conversation he had taken part in earlier. Bounous read, “the county will not pay for medical bills.”
Parrigon also called Jillian Campbell, who works at the jail part-time as a nurse, to the stand. Campbell testified that Manetzke had received all her medications, with the exception of her pain medication that wasn’t available for two weeks due to it being on back order. She also said that Manetzke had attended all of her appointments except for one, but it had been rescheduled.

Victims object to Manetzke’s release
Almost 80 people, including survivors of the crash, their friends and family members and other supporters, attended the hearing. Nine of them spoke against her release. One of them was Jesse Clinkingbeard, who lost his left leg. He showed Blankenship where it had been amputated and said that while Manetzke might be suffering in jail, she could still walk, while he couldn’t.
Clinkingbeard also said that Manetzke had taken even more from him than his leg.
“I don’t get to ride,” he said. “I don’t get to fish; I don’t get to do the things I want to do.”
Additionally, Clinkingbeard expressed a concern that Manetzke might commit suicide to avoid accountability for her actions. The others who spoke voiced similar concerns.
After everyone had spoken, Blankenship stated he would issue a ruling the following week.
Among the conditions for Manetzke’s release, she is to have no contact with the victims in the case, is subject to electric monitoring, is under house arrest and is prohibited from driving. She is scheduled to return to court on Friday, Nov. 15, for a pre-trial conference.