Football coach charged in Missouri girl’s death
Ponca City Now - February 20, 2014 6:39 am
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – A middle-school football coach has been charged with first-degree murder in the abduction and death of a 10-year-old girl in southwest Missouri.
Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson filed criminal charges late Wednesday afternoon against 45-year-old Craig Michael Wood of Springfield.
He is charged with grabbing fourth-grader Hailey Owens off a neighborhood street on Tuesday afternoon, just blocks from her home.
Wood was arrested and jailed Tuesday night in connection with the girl’s death but not initially charged. A body believed to be that of the missing girl was found Wednesday at a Springfield home owned by Wood.
Wood has worked for the Springfield School District since 1998 as a substitute teacher, coach and teacher’s aide. Police say he and the girl apparently didn’t know each other.
