Sex offender: Didn't know he had to register

Sex offender: Didn't know he had to register

Ignorance may be bliss, but it's not a defense. Henry D. Wilson, 62, of 2617 Maria Louise Lane, was convicted Wednesday of misdemeanor failure to register as a sex offender following a bench trial before Associate Circuit Judge Michael Bullerdieck. Because Wilson was previously convicted on felony attempted sexual battery in Sumner County, Tenn., in 1989, he was required to register as a sex offender in Missouri when he moved here. The defendant claimed he misunderstood the law and did not realize it applied to him, a release from the Cape Girardeau prosecuting attorney's office stated. "Sex offenders can't escape punishment for not registering by sticking their heads in the sand and claiming they don't know they are required to register," Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said. Wilson was fined $100 for the conviction, according to court records.

Police confiscate pot plants in Bollinger Co.

More than 350 full-grown marijuana plants were found in a Bollinger County field. The plants were found Tuesday in the southern area of the county as part of the Missouri State Highway Patrol's marijuana eradication program. The Bollinger County sheriff's office scouted areas where illegal plants might be growing, and the patrol sent a helicopter to search from the air, according to the sheriff's department. Growing on private land without the knowledge of the owner, officers found 357 marijuana plants between 4 and 6 feet tall with stalks "as big as Coke bottles," the department stated. The planting of the marijuana was organized, with the plants growing in rows. No arrests have been made, but officials do have a suspect.

Oran man injured in May motorcycle crash dies

ORAN, Mo. --A 47-year-old motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries Friday from a traffic crash more than a month ago. James D. Graviett, of Oran, was seriously injured in the accident the morning of May 26 near Sikeston, Mo., on southbound U.S. 61, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said. Graviett was riding a motorcycle when he ran into the back of a vehicle waiting to turn into Scott County Central High School , Walter said. He died early Friday morning, according to Scott County Coroner Scott Amick.

-- From staff reports