Witnesses recant; charges against police officer dropped

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- A former Chaffee police officer was cleared of charges of patronizing prostitution this week after witnesses recanted their testimony.

Daniel Ayers, 31, of Cape Girardeau was charged with four misdemeanor counts of patronizing prostitution in February after two Chaffee women told police he offered them cigarettes and cash if they would expose themselves to him or carry out sexual acts while he watched.

Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd said he dropped the charges against Ayers on Wednesday, the day Ayers was to appear in court for arraignment, after receiving the witnesses' statements.

Ayers has maintained his innocence against the charges, saying they were a conspiracy by police to silence and discredit him.

Ayers' wife, Mary, said her husband was planning to go public with alleged wrongdoings he witnessed at the Chaffee Police Department before he was arrested by the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

The arrest took place within two weeks of Ayers' dismissal from the Chaffee Police Department, she said.

"These charges are bogus and the truth will come out," she said in February.

The couple could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The Scott County Sheriff's Department investigated the case at the request of police chief Martin Keys, who said he did not want to perform an internal investigation in such a small department, Sheriff Rick Walter said at the time.

carel@semissourian.com

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