Missing 9-year-old southwest Missouri girl found dead

NEOSHO, Mo. (AP) -- A 9-year-old southwest Missouri girl missing for a week was found dead Friday in a sinkhole in eastern McDonald County, authorities said.

The body of Rowan Ford was found on private land near Powell, about 10 miles south of the girl's hometown of Stella, a village of about 200 people, Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland said. Copeland, who spoke to reporters at the sheriff's office in Neosho, said authorities were still determining how the girl died and that the Greene County coroner would conduct an autopsy.

"We know we have a homicide," Copeland said, although he declined to elaborate.

Copeland declined to say if there were any suspects but said no arrests have been made.

He said a McDonald County deputy found Rowan when he stopped to search the area while on his way to work. Copeland said the deputy, whom he would not identify, searched the area after recalling that there was a cavern there.

Copeland said the FBI was gathering the evidence at the scene.

Stella Mayor Bill Alsop, who answered the phone at the family's home Friday, said authorities had told the girl's mother, Colleen Spears, that morning that the body was very likely that of Rowan and that Spears was "pretty shook up."

Rowan was reported missing Saturday after her mother returned home from a night shift at a Wal-Mart in a nearby town and couldn't find her daughter. Rowan's stepfather, David Spears, told investigators he last saw the girl asleep in her room around 10:45 p.m. Friday before he left her alone and went out with friends.

Colleen and David Spears spent much of Saturday looking for Rowan at the homes of acquaintances where they thought the girl might have gone, then reported the girl missing at 6:50 p.m.

Copeland previously has said David Spears told authorities that he left the girl alone when he went out on Friday night and did not check on her after his friends dropped him off at midnight.

Spears also later told authorities that he called his mother sometime after 1 a.m. Saturday and asked to use her vehicle, Copeland has said. She took it to him about half an hour later, then stayed at his house while her son left in her vehicle for about 5 1/2 hours, Copeland has said.

Copeland also has said that Spears has not been able to explain what he did in those 5 1/2 hours. He has not been accused of any crime.

Spears, who has been staying with his parents, has said it was wrong for him to have left the girl alone.