Allegedly imprisoned girl came from mental-health facility

The 15-year-old girl who allegedly was imprisoned inside a makeshift room in her own home in Old Appleton had just come back from a mental-health facility in the St. Louis area, according to a probable-cause statement.

Police said one of the suspects, Rebekah Hughes, likely was trying to flee the area when she was apprehended in Matthews, Missouri, after the victim escaped and notified authorities.

The victim, described by a neighbor as polite and courteous, escaped the room Saturday — after she was held Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday morning — in the back-porch area of a house in Old Appleton. The victim crawled out of the one unsecured window — the other was screwed shut — and fell about 10 feet into her backyard, according to a probable-cause statement. She ran a few houses down and told an off-duty Cape Girardeau County sheriff’s deputy she had been held against her will, according to a probable-cause statement signed by deputy J.P. Kemp.

The victim told the deputy she was released from a mental-health facility in the St. Louis area Thursday, and James Bradley Hughes, 36, and Rebekah Elizabeth Hughes, 33, placed her in the room after she was taken back to their residence, according to the statement. The small room was locked, away from the rest of the family; the door could be opened only from the outside. The victim told police she was only allowed food and bathroom breaks at the leisure of her captors. She was not allowed to participate in household activities.

The report states the victim’s description of the room matched exactly what was found when deputies searched the residence Saturday. The victim said the inside of the room was covered in carpet. She was given a wood shipping pallet, a thin foam mattress, one sheet and one blanket for her bed. She had an empty one-gallon Blue Bunny ice-cream bucket to use as a toilet, according to the report. When police arrived at the house with a warrant, no adults were present. The victim told police she was allowed to have her school work and books in the room.

Rebekah Elizabeth Hughes

Deputies found the west window of the room screwed open, a clean Blue Bunny container on the floor and a food tray on the floor that had two sandwiches, an orange and one bottle of water, according to the report. The approximate size of the room was 8 by 8 feet. Sheriff’s Capt. David James said the average size of jail cells at Cape Girardeau County Jail is 10 by 8 feet.

The victim said there were other instances of abuse in the home that included being confined to a bed with a plastic chain and being struck by a wooden paddle called “The Bun Burner,” according to the report. Sheriff’s deputies found the plastic chain in the laundry room of the house and a wooden paddle with the words “The Bun Burner” burned into its surface in a closet.

James Hughes was arrested at the house Saturday afternoon while deputies were conducting a search warrant, James reported. James Hughes is charged with felony child abuse and unlawful possession of a firearm. Three handguns and ammunition were found in an upstairs bathroom, according to police. James Hughes has a felony drug conviction on his record from May 2000 in Oklahoma, according to the report.

James said James Hughes likely warned Rebekah Hughes, who fled with two children in an attempt to get to Arkansas.

Rebekah Hughes was apprehended at a gas station in Matthews, Missouri, by Missouri State Highway Patrol officers, James said. The victim and two other children were placed in protective custody with the Missouri Division of Family Services, James said.

Rebekah Hughes is charged with one count of felony child abuse. The Hugheses’ bonds were set at $50,000 cash or surety with the condition they stay at least 1,000 feet away from the victim. James Hughes also may not possess a firearm.

Neighbors said all three children were home-schooled. One neighbor said the victim was polite and courteous during their interactions.

“She’s just like any other 15-year-old girl,” the neighbor said.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

Old Appleton Main Street, Old Appleton, Mo.