3 charged with stealing irrigation wire

Three men are facing charges in connection with theft of irrigation wire in Scott County.

Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd has charged Marvin L. Burton Jr., 44, of Scott City, Marcus A. Bowers, 26, of Jonesboro, Illinois, and Joseph M. Reddick, 52, of Emporia, Kansas, with felony theft and property damage, according to a news release from the Scott County Sheriff's Office. Bond for each has been set at $5,000 cash only.

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said in the release his office received a report Wednesday afternoon of suspicious activity on the riverfront in Commerce, Missouri.

The responding deputy found Bowers, Reddick and Burton burning the insulation off a large amount of wire, the release stated.

It later was determined about 800 feet of irrigation pivot wire valued at $4,840 had been stolen from Bula's Heartland Farm outside Benton, Missouri.

After being taken to the Scott County Jail, one of the suspects spoke with an investigator and said two of the other suspects cut and rolled the wire at a field off Interstate 55 while the third served as a lookout, the release stated. He said the wire was loaded into one suspect's vehicle and taken to the riverfront to burn off the insulation.

The suspect who spoke to the investigator said they previously had cashed in an undetermined amount of stolen wire at a recycling center in Cape Girardeau.

Walter asks anyone seeing activity that may be related to the theft of irrigation wire to call and report it.

kwebster@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

Commerce, Mo.

Benton, Mo.