SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Springfield man suspected of kidnapping and killing a 10-year-old girl was unable to convince a judge to throw out statements he made to police after his arrest.
Public defender Patrick Berrigan asked the Greene County Circuit Judge on Monday to suppress Craig Michael Wood's incriminating statements. Berrigan said his client was suffering from "intoxication, emotional turmoil and psychological instability" when he was arrested in February in the death of Hailey Owens.
The Springfield News-Leader reported that prosecutor Dan Patterson said he doesn't plan to use Wood's statements as evidence at a preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday.
The child was abducted from her neighborhood and found dead hours later in the basement of Wood's house. The youth football coach is charged with murder, armed criminal action and child kidnapping.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.