Two unrelated deaths are being investigated in Harrison County, including the death of an infant and the discovery of a deceased female’s body in rural Ridgeway.
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According to information provided by Harrison County Sheriff Josh Eckerson, 23-year-old Nicole Lauria Lister, of Eagleville, has been charged with second degree murder, a class A felony, and abuse of a child, a class C felony, in connection with the death of her eight-month-old daughter. According to information in the St. Joseph News-Press, authorities believe the child, Kiraleigh Grace Wheeler, had been repeatedly abused. Ms. Lister is being held in the Harrison County Law Enforcement Center on $250,000 cash-only bond and is scheduled to appear in Harrison County Circuit Court at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 19.
Harrison County 911 received a call in the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 8, indicating that the child was not breathing. North Harrison Ambulance District personnel responded to the scene and transported the baby to the Harrison County Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by the emergency room physician. According to the News-Press, Ms. Lister allegedly admitted to police that sometime between Friday and Saturday she picked up the child by one arm and then dropped her on the floor. When Ms. Lister awoke from a nap later in the day, the child was dead. Preliminary autopsy results showed that the Kiraleigh suffered from multiple injuries that were in various stages of healing, with other documents indicating the abuse allegedly originated on Jan. 10.
While the investigation by the HCSD and the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control is ongoing, initial information led to the delivery of probable cause affidavits to the Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney’s office.
The Harrison County 911 received a call on Sunday, Sept. 9 in reference to an unknown deceased female being found in the rural Ridgeway area. As of 2 Monday afternoon, the identity of the deceased woman had not been positively identified. The HCSD is working with the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control in this investigation as well.