Three men charged in weekend beating, theft in Scott City

Three men were charged over the weekend with beating up a 44-year-old man in Scott City.

David A. Turner, 21, of Scott City; Kelly Church, of Chaffee, Mo.; and Trent Tancheck, 27, of Scott City, were each charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and tampering with a witness. A $150,000 bond was set for all three.

The three are accused of pulling the victim from his vehicle at 913 Oak St. in Scott City, beating him and stealing his wallet, a probable cause affidavit stated.

Around 10 p.m. Saturday, the victim had been backing out of a Scott City convenience store when a woman claimed he struck her truck.

The two exchanged information, and then he gave the woman and her husband, Tancheck, a ride back to their home at the Oak Street address. The couple was "extremely intoxicated" at the time, the victim claimed in the affidavit.

As the victim attempted to leave, Tancheck and the other two defendants asked the him to come into the house, which he refused.

The men asked the victim if he was a police officer, and he said no, but added he knew "a lot of them."

The victim was then immediately struck above his left eye, according to the affidavit. He attempted to drive away, but the men opened his car door, pulled him out and threw him to the ground.

'Check for a badge!'

The men punched and kicked the victim on the ground about his head and body, the affidavit stated. At one point, the victim had attempted to call 911 on his cell phone, but one of the attackers knocked it away.

During the beating, the men took the victim's wallet and one attacker yelled, "Check for a badge!"

After 30 to 40 seconds, a woman came out of Tancheck's home and told the men to stop.

"I know where you live so don't tell the police because you never know where I will be," Tancheck warned the victim, according to the affidavit.

The victim was treated at Southeast Missouri Hospital and received eight stitches over his right eye and nine stitches over his left eye, according to the affidavit. He had swelling and bruising around both eyes, with multiple lacerations around his ears, neck and head.

He has since been released from the hospital.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127