On August 7th 2018 at approximately 11:53 a.m. the Barton County 911 Center received a call from the park manager at Prairie State Park in reference to a man who claimed he was searching for his wife.
The man had stated he had left her there at the campsite at approximately 4 a.m. and then returned at 8 a.m. to find she was gone. The Prairie State Park employee stated that the subject acted strange and he had stated that he did not want to have any interaction with law enforcement and then drove his vehicle back to the campsite and park workers had not seen him since he returned to the campsite.
After receiving the information deputies from the Barton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. The deputies arrived at 12:17 p.m. and were assisted by the workers of Prairie State Park.
After receiving the information deputies from the Barton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. The deputies arrived at 12:17 p.m. and were assisted by the workers of Prairie State Park.
They started searching around the campsite and searched a few of the trails trying to find either one of the two subjects, however neither subject were located in their search. During the search two cell phones was located along a creek, and a bicycle that had previously been seen in the back of the truck at the campsite was found down a walking trail with nobody around it.
The male subject was last reported being seen around 11 a.m. on the east side of the park walking down a walking trail.
The deputies were in contact with the Sheriff on their attempts to locate the subjects. When their attempts to locate the two had failed the Sheriff was concerned for the well-being of the two so numerous extra emergency personnel were called in to assist in the search. The following emergency personnel was asked to respond to assist, members of the Lamar Fire Department, Barton County Ambulance, Members of the Barton County rescue and recovery team, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Officers of the Lamar Police Department, and a tracking k-9 from the Jasper County Sheriffs Office.
At approximately 2:40 p.m. when some of the emergency personnel were arriving on scene to assist in the search a man was observed in the area of the visitation center. All of the officers responded to the visitation center and started a search of the area. The inside of the Visitation Center was also searched along with an area around the outside of the building. It was believed that the subject that was seen had fled into the prairie. Numerous volunteers searched from ATVs, with drones, and on foot looking for the man.
At approximately 3:50 p.m. the Sheriff received information from the Liberal Police Officer Ray Cliffman that a female had been picked up earlier in the day and taken to Casey’s in Liberal. The Sheriff was told that the female was found inside a hay barn some distance away from Prairie State Park. Officer Cliffman was able to find the female subject at the business and bring her back to the visitation center to be questioned on her accounts of what occurred. At the conclusion of the investigation she was found to be one of the missing subjects from the campsite. There are no criminal charges being sought on the female subject.
At approximately 4:01 p.m. the Park Manager entered the visitation center to get something from her office and located a male subject hiding under a desk. The Park Manager acted as if she did not see the subject, exited her office, and locked the subject inside the building. She then notified the Officers Searching the area the subject was located in the building. The Sheriff, Deputies, and Lamar Officers responded to the scene, entered the building, and went to the room she reported he was in. The male subject was located naked and hiding under a desk. The male subject was taken into custody without incident.
The man was identified as Peter F. Gilbreth, age 49, of Joplin. He was arrested for the criminal charge of burglary. Gilbreth was transported to the Barton County Memorial Hospital for medical treatment due to impairment prior to being taken to the Jail. He later was transported to the jail where he was processed in and placed on a 24-hour hold for investigation. The investigation is being conducted by the Missouri State Park Rangers James Cervi, and Ranger Jacob Rash and those reports will be sent to the Prosecuting Attorney for consideration of filing formal criminal charges.
The Sheriff would like to thank all of the volunteers who came out and assisted in the search for the two subjects.
The Sheriff would also like to extend a big thank you to Scott Potter and Joe Davis who brought drones to the scene and flown the area around the visitation center.
The male subject was last reported being seen around 11 a.m. on the east side of the park walking down a walking trail.
The deputies were in contact with the Sheriff on their attempts to locate the subjects. When their attempts to locate the two had failed the Sheriff was concerned for the well-being of the two so numerous extra emergency personnel were called in to assist in the search. The following emergency personnel was asked to respond to assist, members of the Lamar Fire Department, Barton County Ambulance, Members of the Barton County rescue and recovery team, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Officers of the Lamar Police Department, and a tracking k-9 from the Jasper County Sheriffs Office.
At approximately 2:40 p.m. when some of the emergency personnel were arriving on scene to assist in the search a man was observed in the area of the visitation center. All of the officers responded to the visitation center and started a search of the area. The inside of the Visitation Center was also searched along with an area around the outside of the building. It was believed that the subject that was seen had fled into the prairie. Numerous volunteers searched from ATVs, with drones, and on foot looking for the man.
At approximately 3:50 p.m. the Sheriff received information from the Liberal Police Officer Ray Cliffman that a female had been picked up earlier in the day and taken to Casey’s in Liberal. The Sheriff was told that the female was found inside a hay barn some distance away from Prairie State Park. Officer Cliffman was able to find the female subject at the business and bring her back to the visitation center to be questioned on her accounts of what occurred. At the conclusion of the investigation she was found to be one of the missing subjects from the campsite. There are no criminal charges being sought on the female subject.
At approximately 4:01 p.m. the Park Manager entered the visitation center to get something from her office and located a male subject hiding under a desk. The Park Manager acted as if she did not see the subject, exited her office, and locked the subject inside the building. She then notified the Officers Searching the area the subject was located in the building. The Sheriff, Deputies, and Lamar Officers responded to the scene, entered the building, and went to the room she reported he was in. The male subject was located naked and hiding under a desk. The male subject was taken into custody without incident.
The man was identified as Peter F. Gilbreth, age 49, of Joplin. He was arrested for the criminal charge of burglary. Gilbreth was transported to the Barton County Memorial Hospital for medical treatment due to impairment prior to being taken to the Jail. He later was transported to the jail where he was processed in and placed on a 24-hour hold for investigation. The investigation is being conducted by the Missouri State Park Rangers James Cervi, and Ranger Jacob Rash and those reports will be sent to the Prosecuting Attorney for consideration of filing formal criminal charges.
The Sheriff would like to thank all of the volunteers who came out and assisted in the search for the two subjects.
The Sheriff would also like to extend a big thank you to Scott Potter and Joe Davis who brought drones to the scene and flown the area around the visitation center.
Wow what a waste of taxpayer's money..I bet them goobers really got off on that search....laughable
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