Rodgers charged with kidnapping, other crimes in brass knuckles assault

Victim claims Aurora man bound her with zip ties, beat her until she was able to escape to neighbor’s home
 
An Aurora man was arrested on Tuesday, June 18 and charged with kidnapping and assaulting a Springfield woman, as well as possessing a controlled substance. James R. Rodgers was taken into custody by Lawrence County deputies investigating the crimes.
According to a probable cause statement filed in the case, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office received a call at about 2:08 a.m. on June 18 for service in rural Aurora for suspicious activity. A deputy sheriff arrived and spoke with the victim, Amanda Lowery, who was bleeding from her head. According to the report, Lowery told the deputy she had been beaten with brass knuckles, bound hand and foot with zip ties and held in the home of Rogers until she escaped.
Another deputy sheriff arrived on the scene and saw a white truck and a red or maroon SUV, later identified as a stolen Honda, leaving Rodger’s residence. The deputy got into a pursuit with the SUV; the suspect shot at the deputy during the pursuit and struck his vehicle three times. The pursuit went into Greene County and was terminated.
The investigator who filed the probable cause statement spoke with Lowery at the hospital where she was being treated. She said she was dragged into the house by a woman whom she identified as Christina Hull. She also said Rodgers was there at the time and made disparaging remarks towards her. Lowery said she was able to escape and go to a neighbor’s house and broke a window in an attempt to escape. She also said that, in addition to Hull, she was held captive by one Drew Minute and another man she called “Levi.”
Deputies later made contact with Rodgers, who claimed to have no knowledge of events earlier in the evening. The investigator spoke with Rodgers at the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office. He claimed he didn’t see Lowery the night before. The investigator took Rodgers to the Lawrence County Jail; Rodgers requested to speak with him again a few minutes later. When speaking with the investigator again, Rodgers said he did see Lowery in his garage, where he said she was crying. He also said that he, Hull, a man named “Josh” and one other person, not identified in the probable cause statement, went back into the home; Rodgers said he could hear Lowery crying in the garage. Finally, Rodgers said Hull went back out into the garage and found Lowery was gone.
The investigator wrote that Rodgers also admitted to picking up the zip ties from the garage and hiding them in his safe under a VCR in a gray tote.
A search warrant was requested for Rodger’s residence; the search turned up two off-white zip ties discovered in the gun safe in a tote under a VCR. Also found were about 4.3 grams of what field-tested positive as methamphetamine, scales and baggies, and a pipe for smoking marijuana with residue.
Rodgers was released from the custody of the Lawrence County Jail on Friday, June 21. Offender Search on the Missouri Department of Corrections website showed that he is currently being held at the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center in Fulton. At the time of the alleged kidnapping and assault, Rodgers was on supervised probation for receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance. Online records show his probation was revoked on June 4.
In addition to Rodgers, charges were also filed against Hull for kidnapping, assault and possession of a controlled substance. No record of her arrest was found as of press time. Authorities are also reported to be looking for the other individuals involved.