State briefs 6/18

Cape man guilty of false imprisonment

A Cape Girardeau man who held his family at gunpoint and threatened to kill himself and others when police arrived has been found guilty of two counts of false imprisonment.

Cleties Allen Ford, 40, was found guilty by Circuit Judge John W. Grimm after a bench trial.

Cape Girardeau police officer Ty Metzger fired a shot at Ford as he attempted to re-enter the house during the Feb. 27 incident at 1825 Dumais Drive. He was captured a short time later inside the house. Also in the house at the time were Ford's wife, Penny, two adult children and a 9-year-old.

The convictions, misdemeanors, carry penalties of one day to one year in the county jail and-or a fine of up to $1,000.

Angel M. Woodruff was the prosecuting attorney, and Malcolm Montgomery was the defense attorney.

Ford originally was charged with domestic assault, exhibiting a weapon in an angry or threatening manner and false imprisonment.

Sentencing has been set for Aug. 12.

Crops improve despite weather damage

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Overall, the condition of row crops in Missouri improved during the past week, although flash flooding, erosion and wind caused some damage, the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday.

Rain throughout the state interrupted fieldwork, but farmers still made good progress with planting and haying, the service said. Rainfall averaged 1.82 inches last week.

Ninety-six percent of the corn has emerged, a few days behind normal. The crop's condition is rated as 11 percent very poor or poor and 89 percent fair to excellent.

Eighty-one percent of soybean acreage is planted, which is normal for this time. Sixty-seven percent of the beans have emerged and the crop's condition is rated as 8 percent very poor or poor and 92 percent fair to excellent.

Cotton is rated as 4 percent very poor, 20 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 36 percent good and 1 percent excellent. Seventeen percent of the cotton is squaring, five days ahead of normal.

Rice is rated as 8 percent poor or very poor and 92 percent fair to excellent, while wheat is 29 percent poor or very poor and 71 percent fair to excellent.

Man guilty of hiring person to kill his wife

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- A suburban St. Louis man was convicted of first-degree murder Monday night for hiring a self-employed stripper and gang member to kill his estranged wife.

The St. Charles County Circuit Court jury took only a few hours to reach its verdict in the case against Christopher Kapeller, 44. His wife, Janice Kapeller, 39, was found dead in her St. Peters home last July 4. Christopher Kapeller and the couple's two children found the body.

Prosecutors accused Kapeller of hiring Michael Clark, 32, to kill his wife. Clark, who testified for the prosecution in exchange for a plea agreement, told jurors Kapeller offered to pay him $11,000 to commit the crime.

Prosecutors said Kapeller wanted the collect more than $388,000 in life insurance after his wife's death.

-- From staff and wire reports