Suspect arrested in murder-rape in Poplar Bluff

POPLARBLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man is to appear in court today after he was charged with raping and murdering a woman whose body was found Sunday in the old abandoned Frisco Railroad tunnel near where it runs under Main Street.

According to Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour, Brian Todd Hemphill, 20, of the 1000 block of Harper Street was to appear Monday before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for arraignment.

This comes after Barbour charged Hemphill with the Class A felony of first-degree murder and the felonies of forcible rape and armed criminal action earlier Monday morning in connection with the death of Cheryl Hesselrode.

Butler County Coroner Larry Cotrell said Dr. James Costin was to perform an autopsy on Hesselrode, 45, at Three Rivers Healthcare-North Campus.

"We are going to withhold the cause of death until after we get the results of the autopsy," Cotrell said. Those results are expected today, he said.

According to the complaint on file with the court, it alleges that sometime between Saturday and Sunday Hemphill "after deliberation, knowingly caused the death of Cheryl Hesselrode, by stabbing her."

Count II of the complaint alleges Hemphill "knowingly had sexual intercourse with (the victim), by the use of forcible compulsion."

Count III alleges that Hemphill committed the felony of first-degree murder "by stabbing (the victim) with a knife."

According to Poplar Bluff police Sgt. Greg Brainard's probable cause affidavit on file with the court, Hemphill told officers that between about 11:15 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 a.m. Sunday he "forcibly had sexual intercourse with Cheryl Hesselrode although (the victim) told him to stop.

"Mr. Hemphill said (the victim) began to scream and he then placed his left hand over her mouth and stabbed (her) several times with his knife."

The body of a white female, later identified by Cotrell as Hesselrode, was found at about 10 a.m. Sunday in an abandoned railroad tunnel between Main and Second streets, according to police Capt. Dennis Long.

A passerby walking on Main Street noticed the body and contacted police, said Long who described it as a "secluded area."

The Butler County/Poplar Bluff Major Case Squad was activated by police chief Danny Whiteley and Sheriff Bill Heaton to investigate the homicide.

About 2 1/2 hours after Hesselrode's body was found, Hemphill was brought to the sheriff's department for questioning.

Hemphill is being held without bond in the Butler County jail.