JESSE and WYATT BAGLEY - 7 and 4 yo (2009) Texas County MO

The search for a pair of missing children is continuing today in Texas County, according to the Licking Fire Chief.

The two children, Jesse and Wyatt Bagley, ages 7 and 4, were reported
missing by their mother at 5:21 p.m. Sunday. At the time, she said they
had been missing an hour. Licking Fire Chief Jimmy Sherrill said they
had been playing in the yard.

A command post has been set up near the home on Hazelton Drive. Sherrill said there were 147 people helping with the search.

This morning there are people searching with all-terrain vehicles, horses and a helicopter.

He said volunteer divers and divers with the Missouri Water Patrol are
also searching Piney River as well, which is located near the home.

Employees and volunteers from the Sheriff’s Department, the Department of
Conservation, the Water Patrol, fire and rescue, and neighbors are
searching for the boys.

Jessie was last seen wearing a red shirt and blue pants. Wyatt was wearing a white shirt and blue shorts.

(Licking, MO) -- The bodies of two young boys were pulled from the Big
Piney River west of Licking, Missouri this morning, about twelve hours
after they were reported missing from their home.

The Missouri
Water Patrol says the bodies of Wyatt E. Bagley and Jesse J. Bagley,
ages 4 and 7, were found by searchers shortly after 7:00 this morning,
not far from their home.

A command post was set up on Hazelton
Drive Sunday night after the mother of the children called authorities
to report the boys had wandered out of their house.

Search teams
looked for the boys through the night. A spokesman for the Water
Patrol says the boys apparently drowned, and that no foul play is
suspected.

It's a tragic end for two Texas County boys missing since last night.

The Missouri Highway Patrol says early this morning the bodies of a 7- and
4-year old were discovered in the Big Piney River off Hazelton Road.

The community of Licking and surrounding areas rallied to find the two boys but are now coping with the news of their deaths.

The body of 7-year-old Jesse Bagley, and his 4-year-old brother Wyatt Bagley were found in the river.

The mother of both the boys, Jennifer Bagley, spoke with us about her loss
and what she thinks happened. "Mothers intuition I know Wyatt tripped
and ended up in the water and Jesse went to save him not stopping to
think he can swim either."

As soon as Jennifer reported her two boys missing a massive search began.

The Highway Patrol says sheriffs and fire departments along with Water
Patrol and Missouri Conservation Department worked all night hoping to
find the young boys.

The Water Patrol found Jesses's body and the Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter spotted Wyatt's.

Chief Sherrill says the boys were found only about 100 yards from the house in the river.

Volunteers searched by boats, ATV's, even horses. Searchers and the Bagley family say they are deeply saddened by this outcome.

"I didn't want to hear it I didn't want to hear I did not want to hear it
I wanted to hear something else besides what I did everybody last night
wanted to hear different than we did," says searcher Herbert Cook.

Jennifer Bagley says her third child, daughter Belle, was just taken away by the Division of Child Services.

She says they told her they had to do this while the investigation was underway.

She says she didn't do anything wrong to have her taken away and now she has lost three children in one day.

Police say foul play is not involved, but we will continue to follow the situation involving Bagley and her daughter.

An autopsy is scheduled in Springfield tomorrow for her two boys.

Two Texas County boys were found dead Monday morning after a nightlong search.
Jesse Bagley, 7, and Wyatt Bagley, 4, of Licking, were found drowned in a river that flows about 100 yards from their home.The
two were last seen playing in their yard. Their mother, Jennifer
Bagley, reported the two missing at 5:21 p.m. and said she had not seen
them in about an hour.Lt.
Melissa Dunn of the Texas County Sheriff's Office said the mother was
alerted by her 3-year-old daughter. "There was a third child that came
back to the home asking about her brothers," she said.She said it is unknown why the two ended up in the river. "It would be a guessing game at this time," Dunn said.She said there is no reason to suspect foul play, but an autopsy is scheduled for today .At
least 200 volunteers had been searching for the two, using ATVs, horses
and a helicopter. Dunn said authorities knew the Big Piney River was a
possibility because the children's footprints were on the shore.Jesse's
body was discovered at 7:10 Monday morning by Missouri Water Patrol
divers in four-and-a-half feet of water, according to a report from the
patrol. Wyatt's body was then spotted in a log jam by a Highway Patrol
helicopter and was removed at 7:30. Dunn said Jesse's body was about 20
feet downstream, and Wyatt's was about 100 yards downstream.Dunn
said there is no fence between the house and the river and that the
river is visible from the home. She said there are two unpaved boat
ramps at the site for water access. She said the river is calm at that
point. "It's a very large, wide eddy at that point. It's not swift,"
she said. She said the river is 12 to 14 feet deep at that point.Their
father, James Bagley, is serving a prison sentence . Dunn said he was
notified of the deaths by the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The Texas County Coroner says peliminary autopsy findings on two young boys found in the Big Piney River suggest they drowned.
Wyatt Earp Bagley and Jesse James Bagley were found early Monday morning near a boat ramp on the river.
Wyatt was 4; his brother was 7 years old.
Coroner
Tom Whittaker tells KSPR the boys injuries were consistent with
accidental drowning. He also said there was nothing unusual in the
case.
Once toxicology results are in, Texas County's Child Death Review team will take a look at the case.

Charges are expected in the deaths of two children who drowned in the Big Piney River near Licking.
Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson told KY3 on Wednesday morning
that he expects charges to be filed against the mother, Jennifer
Bagley, but the Sheriff will not say what type of charges.
Seven year old Jessie Bagley and his four year old brother
Wyatt disappeared from their home Sunday night. Their bodies were
recovered Monday morning. They apparently had been in the water about
12 hours. The autopsy didn't find any signs of trauma.

The sheriff of Texas County said
he expects some kind of charges will be filed regarding the deaths of
Jesse Bagley, 7, and Wyatt Bagley, 4, of Licking.
The two boys disappeared from their home Sunday, sparking a massive search
effort by several law enforcement agencies and volunteers.On Monday morning, their bodies were found in a river that flows about 100 yards behind their home.The boys' mother, Jennifer Bagley, reported the two missing at 5:21 p.m. Sunday.She had been alerted by her 3-year-old daughter, and said the two boys had been gone about an hour.Two grandparents also live in the home."We
do expect charges to be filed, but I can't say when or what charges
will be filed at this time," said Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson.Watson
said officials had received calls prior to the boys' deaths expressing
concern that the children were not being adequately watched."I
don't know how far I should go -- all those calls did not go to this
office," Watson said. "There have been some calls on neglect in the
past."The father of the boys, James Bagley, was not home when the boys disappeared. He is serving a prison sentence.Watson confirmed that authorities have removed the boys' 3-year-old sister from the home since the incident.Texas County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Anderson said he will wait for the
investigation to run its course before deciding what, if any, charges
are merited."I don't know how long it will take -- as long as law enforcement needs to investigate it," he said.

The mother of two young boys who drowned in the Big Piney River earlier this week, may face criminal charges.

Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson tells KOLR10 News he expects some type of criminal charges to be filed against Jennifer Bagley.

She is the mother of Jesse and Wyatt Bagley, ages 7 and 4, who were found in the river about 100-yards from their home.
Autopsy results show the boys died as a result of drowning.

But the sheriff says other circumstances are involved in the case -- but he would not explain what those are.
He did say Bagley has not been arrested.

When reached this afternoon, Jennifer Bagley (right) said she is unaware of any potential charges.

Bagley said visitation for the boys is Friday evening at Evans Funeral Home in Licking.
The funeral is 10:00 am Saturday at Boone Creek Baptist Church.

It will likely be next week before charges are filed in connection
with the drowning of two Licking boys, Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson
said Friday, hours before a visitation for the brothers was held in
Houston.
Watson said charges are also possible in the unrelated death of an 18-month-old Licking toddler later in the week.The brothers, Jesse Bagley, 7, and Wyatt Bagley, 4, went missing from their
home, initiating a search. Their bodies were later recovered from the
Big Piney River near their Licking home."It's
probably going to be the first of next week," Watson said of the
possibility of charges being filed in connection with the deaths.He did not elaborate on possible charges and who would face them.Investigators said the boy's mother, Jennifer, notified police about her sons' disappearance Sunday.Along with the sheriff's department, the deaths are being investigated by the Missouri Division of Family Services.Visitation
for the brothers was Friday evening at Evans Funeral Home in Houston.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. today at Boone Creek Baptist Church.Watson
said he was also waiting for the results of an autopsy, which was being
held Friday in Springfield, on the body of toddler Loyce D. Decker.He
said the boyfriend of the 18-month-old's mother was baby-sitting the
child. He reportedly told authorities the child fell and suffered a
head injury while in a bathtub. The child died Wednesday in a
Springfield hospital.Watson said an ongoing investigation has raised questions about the boyfriend's account of what happened.

It's a weekend of sorrow as a community
mourns two little boys who accidentally drowned near the Big Piney
River in Texas County.

Jesse Bagley, 7, and his brother Wyatt, 4, of Licking were found dead in the river Monday morning.

On the day their bodies are laid to rest, the tragedy is creating a dialogue about safety in the community.

As they said goodbye Saturday, friends and family remember two energetic
boys who loved the outdoors. Community members say they don't know why
the lives of the boys were taken at such young ages, but vow to protect
others from similar fates.

A scene nobody wants to see: a mother burying not just one child, but two.

"I know that both parents loved their children and it's a tragedy," Kathy
Smith says. "Neither one of them would have wanted this to happen."

Smith attended the funeral, and remembers a time Jesse and his siblings visited her home.

"He was very protective of his brother and little sister," Smith says.

The tragic way these two little boys lost their lives touched the community.

"To me, it was very heart-wrenching," Barbara Morgan says. "It just tore it out of me."

Morgan says it's a story that needs to be re-told to her two young grandchildren.

"I would tell them exactly what has happened, and don't go near the water," Morgan says.

Larry Larson says he'll honor the Bagley boys' memories when he takes his
grandkids to the often fast-moving waters of the Big Piney River.

"I'd be right there in the water with them, and I'd never let them out of my sight," Larson says.

"My wife drives a bus here locally, and she knew the older boy," Erin McConnell says.

So he says he was shocked when he heard the news.

"Sick," McConnell says. "It's hard to get past things like that."

He's headed to the river with his seven-year-old daughter Isobel. He says
she'll be wearing a life vest and won't leave his eyesight.

"When you grow up around the rivers, you just kind of grow up with that mentality," McConnell says.

The pastor overseeing the funeral says he takes solace in knowing Jesse and Wyatt are now safe.

Community members say the loss is a painful reminder that when one family grieves, the whole town feels its loss.

Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson says some type of criminal charges will
likely be filed against the boys' mother, Jennifer Bagley. The sheriff
says other circumstances are involved in the case, but he would not
explain what those are.

Jennifer Bagley did not wish to comment Saturday.

LICKING, Mo. -- In the afternoon of Aug. 9, 4-year-old Wyatt Bagley and his 7-year old brother, Jesse, disappeared. The next morning, the two boys' bodies were found in the Big Piney River. They drowned just a few hundred yards from their home.
KY3 News obtained the case records for the Bagley boys with Missouri's Department of Social Services. They detail a long history of hotline calls and house visits, the first when the youngest, Wyatt Bagley, was just 6 months old.

On July 5, 2005, the first call alleged unsanitary conditions in the boys' home. A site visit by a state investigator found the home cluttered and infested with roaches.

On Nov. 17, 2007, a call alleged that the boyfriend of the boys' mother, Jennifer Bagley, physically abused Wyatt Bagley. The state's investigator wrote that he was significantly bruised and injured.

On Sept. 5, 2008, a call alleged Jesse Bagley was abused, and had an injury on his forehead. In an interview, Jesse told several different stories about how he hurt his head but denied any abuse.

Then, on Aug. 9 of this year, the final call came in alleging a lack of supervision of the boys. They were already missing for several hours. The next morning, the boys were found dead not far from their backyard.

As for other family members mentioned in the records, the boys' grandparents were only mentioned briefly in the records after an interview with the state in 2008. The boys' sister was also mentioned; someone called the hotline concerned that she wasn't being fed in 2006.
The Texas County sheriff has said the boys' mother may face charges for their deaths.

Sheriff believes younger sister may have been in river, too

Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson believes the younger sister of Jesse, left, and Wyatt Bagley may have been in the same river where they drowned last week.

The younger sister of two Licking boys who drowned last week may have been in the same river that claimed their lives.

Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson said Monday morning the clothes of 3-year-old Belle Starr Louise Bagley were wet when authorities arrived after receiving the 911 call that her brothers, ages 4 and 7, were missing.

Jesse James Bagley and Wyatt Earp Bagley were found Aug. 10 in the Big Piney River, which ran just behind their home in remote northwest Texas County. Their bodies were discovered about 14 hours after a massive hunt began that included nearly 300 volunteer searchers.

"I think she had been with them, and I think she had been into the river," Watson said of Belle Bagley. "How she got out and why she didn't drown, too? We can't answer that."

Authorities said Belle alerted her mother, Jennifer Bagley, that her siblings were missing. She and both grandparents, who rented the home on Hazelwood Drive, were inside.

Watson said the children had been playing unsupervised near the house when he believes all three ended up in or near the water.

Watson said Belle has been interviewed by family services.

"She had been with (her brothers)," Watson said. "They were apparently all together. Where one was, all three were."

Searchers found footprints near the river an estimated 100 yards behind the house. But the river was only one location in the rugged, wooded terrain that was combed over by foot, horseback, four wheelers, boats and helicopter.

The 911 call was made around 5:20 p.m. Aug. 9, according to Watson. Texas County Coroner Tom Whitaker said the boys, who were found at 7:07 and 7:42 a.m., had been dead at least 15 hours. He believes they were in the water between 3-5 p.m.

Watson said a long period of time passed before Jennifer Bagley called authorities to report Jesse and Wyatt were missing.

"We haven't been able to pinpoint that, but we feel like it was at least an hour, possibly two hours prior to her making the call to 911," Watson said.

According to Watson, Texas County Prosecutor Mike Anderson is awaiting toxicology reports before filing any charges. Watson said his department has conducted several interviews, but none will have a barring on any potential charges.

Watson said family members were at least negligent.

"They did nothing other than the fact that the children were not supervised with the river being nearby," he said. "They were in the house and not watching the children."

Jesse Bagley

Jesse James Bagley, 7, died Monday, Aug. 10, 2009, in an accidental drowning near Licking.

He was born June 4, 2002, in Salem, son of James and Jennifer Coleman Bagley.

He was the oldest of three children. He was preparing to enter the second grade at Licking Elementary School.

He loved the outdoors, playing ball, exploring and hunting for bugs, lizards and frogs.

Jesse loved his brother and sister and was very protective of them. They followed him everywhere. He was optimistic about any situation.

Survivors include his parents; a sister, Belle Starr Louise Bagley; maternal grandparents, John and Cheryl Coleman; paternal grandparents, Kathy Bagley and Danny Bagley; great-grandparents, Rita and Wayne Griffin and James and Jean Dell; several aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives and friends; and Ryan L. Blazier, a father figure.


Wyatt Bagley

Wyatt Earp Bagley, 4, died Monday, Aug. 10, 2009, in an accidental drowning near Licking.

He was born Jan. 1, 2005, in Houston, son of James and Jennifer Coleman Bagley.

He was the middle of three children. He was preparing to begin head start this month.

He loved the outdoors, playing ball, exploring and hunting for bugs, lizards and frogs.

He was the prankster of the family. He enjoyed to present gifts of treasures he found outside, like plants, rocks and even living things. He loved protecting his sister.

Survivors include his parents; a sister, Belle Starr Louise Bagley; maternal grandparents, John and Cheryl Coleman; paternal grandparents, Kathy Bagley and Danny Bagley; great-grandparents, Rita and Wayne Griffin and James and Jean Dell; several aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives and friends; and Ryan L. Blazier, a father figure.

Calls date to 2005

The Division of Child Services, which oversees the welfare of children, last had contact with family through a hotline call Aug. 9 alleging a lack of supervision of Jesse and Wyatt after they went missing. It follows a four-year string of investigations related to their care. The division was notified in July 2005 of unsanitary living conditions inside the Licking trailer of James and Jennifer Bagley.

In a report, a member of the investigative unit of the Texas County Children's Division described adult and small roaches "crawling everywhere and all over the trailer." They were reportedly crawling in and out of food in the kitchen, falling off the ceiling and were alive in the refrigerator. The bed, where 6-month-old Wyatt slept with his parents, had no sheets and more than 100 roaches crawling on it, according to a report.

The boys, who according to the paperwork had bug bites and open sores on their bodies, were allowed to stay at the home of Jennifer Bagley's sister while the trailer was cleaned. They returned to their parents' home, which had been sprayed for the bugs, six days later.

A family assessment deemed the Bagleys would benefit from services. Jennifer Bagley, who worked at Casey's, was pregnant. James Bagley did not work and was on probation. During week two of the intervention, the family was evicted from the trailer park and moved to St. Louis, where James Bagley had relatives. The case was closed.

In March 2006, a hotline call was received alleging Jennifer Bagley was not feeding her infant daughter, according to the documents. Bagley stated she had ran out of formula and taken the one-month-old baby, who had only gained 7 ounces in a month, to the doctor. The children were observed and services were offered by the state agency to the family. They were declined.

A third hotline report was received in November 2007, stating Wyatt Bagley had been physically abused. A social worker discovered bruises, welts, red marks, abrasions and lacerations on Wyatt's body. One bruise "looked like someone put their fist into Wyatt's chest," the worker wrote.

According to a report, a witness said Jennifer's boyfriend had been called to the home around 1 a.m. to help get the boys asleep. The witness alleged the boyfriend "slammed Wyatt against the wall a few times," grabbed him by the throat and swatted him 15 times. He also "grabbed Wyatt by the ears only and carried him across the room and threw Wyatt against the wall."

The boyfriend told the Texas County Sheriff's Department that he and Jennifer Bagley, along with her three children, had lived together two times. The most recent had been about two months. They had been apart about three weeks, the boyfriend told investigators.

He denied the allegations and said he never physically disciplined the children. He admitted to wrestling with them.

Wyatt received medical treatment at Texas County Memorial Hospital. Jennifer Bagley agreed her children would not return to boyfriend's home, according to the paperwork.

According to the state agency's investigation, a preponderance of the evidence determined that the boyfriend abused Wyatt, and Jennifer Bagley was negligent by not protecting him. According to court records, no charges were ever filed.

Just 11 days later, the Phelps County Children's Division investigated a concerned call regarding a purplish area on Wyatt's privates. James Bagley, who had custody of Wyatt since the alleged abuse report, had his son examined by a medical staff. The incident did not rise to the level of a child abuse or neglect report, according to documents. Since that time, James Bagley was sentenced to prison on a controlled substance charge.

In September 2008, an investigation was made following a hotline report of alleged physical abuse to Jesse Bagley, who had three small bumps on his forehead. Jesse told an investigator that he hit himself in the head with a ball bat. His grandmother, Cheryl Coleman, said Jesse told her he ran into the windowsill. The grandfather, John Coleman, said Jesse told him he ran into the bumper of the truck.

Jesse denied any physical abuse.

An investigator said the children, who were under the supervision of the Colemans at a home they rented on Hazelton Drive, were well taken care of and appeared neat and clean.

Mays said the children's division closely examined its handling of the Bagley case.

"We've reviewed our records and found the children's division's responses to calls about Jesse and Wyatt were prompt and thorough," she said. "We feel the actions we took in each case were appropriate and addressed the situation at hand."

Children’s Division: We Could Not Prevent Texas County Drownings


Story Created: Sep 10, 2009 at 1:32 PM CDT
Story Updated: Sep 10, 2009 at 9:03 PM CDT
Members of the Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division say they could not prevent the drowning deaths of two Texas County toddlers one month ago. The state answered six hotline calls about concerns for Jesse James Bagley and Wyatt Earp Bagley nearly every year for four years before their deaths.

Children’s Division Deputy Director Celesta Hartgraves says a court will not rule to remove kids unless they are in imminent danger. Hartgraves says the Children’s Division never received any reports the Bagley children were not adequately supervised.

On August 9, 2009, Jesse and Wyatt’s three-year-old sister notified her mother the boys were missing. Nearly 300 strangers searched in vain for 7-year-old Jesse and 4-year-old Wyatt. Rescuers found their bodies in the Big Piney, 100 feet from their home, the day after they went missing.

One month later, investigators are looking at the sequence of events, including why no one immediately knew the boys were gone.

The Bagley family did have issues that started years before the boys' deaths. Those issues drew the attention of child welfare workers. reporters dug through hundreds of pages of records about hotline calls made on the Bagley family.

In 2005, the boys were living inside a mobile home in Licking. A landlord called the Children's Division’s hotline.

Social workers say they couldn't take a step inside the mobile home without walking on roaches. Bugs covered the kitchen, bedrooms and fell from the ceiling. Workers found live roaches inside the fridge and freezer.

Records show the boys had open sores and bites and were temporarily removed from their biological parents' home. "The mother and father were able to make arrangements that the children could stay with another family member until they could got rid of the roaches," Hartgraves says. Records show James and Jennifer Bagley bug-bombed the home while the children stayed with their aunt.

Four days later. the kids moved back in. "We always try to work with families because having to leave their parents' custody is very traumatic for a child," Hartgraves says.

The family's messy lifestyle got them evicted, but the state closed its case because the family said they were moving to St. Louis. Less than a year later, another hotline call was made to the same mobile home in Licking. The anonymous caller said baby sister Belle was not being fed.

At the same time, Jennifer Bagley brought the girl to the hospital, saying she was out of formula. Social workers found a full box of formula at her home. Bagley accepted help from the state but then later declined it. The Children’s Division did not open a case.

James Bagley was no longer in the home. “In this situation she did have adequate food for her child," Hartgraves says.

In 2007, the state found abuse. At the time Bagley's boyfriend lived in a mobile home just up the road from the Bagley home.

Bagley told investigators her boyfriend picked Wyatt up by his ears and threw him against the wall; he hit, kicked, poked and punched the boy. No criminal charges were filed and the children weren't removed.

"We entered into a safety agreement that the mother agreed she would not have the children at the boyfriend’s home. As far as we know, she followed that," Hartgraves says. Wyatt went to live with his biological father, James, in Rolla; he found a bruise on the boy's genitals. But Harrtgraves says medical professionals "found no reason to believe it was from abuse and neglect."

Then last year, the boys were living with their grandparents when someone called concerned about suspicious bruises on Jesse's forehead. Despite numerous explanations, the state did not open a case. “Jesse never indicated he was abused,” Hartgraves says. "The school district didn't have any concerns about the care he was receiving. We don't just take a caretaker's word for it."

After six calls over four years and some evidence of abuse, KSPR asked why the combination of hotline calls was not enough to remove the children.

"In our contacts the family was cooperative (and) willing to make changes,” Hartgraves says. “They took all the actions that were necessary.” Hartgraves says she cannot discuss the details of the open investigation into the boys’ deaths. A final report on their drownings has not been released.

One final hotline call was made the day the boys went missing. The Texas County prosecutor is waiting on toxicology results to decide if he'll file charges.

Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson says the boys' three-year-old sister was in the water the day they went missing. Watson says her clothes were soaking wet. The state did remove her but won't confirm if she is still in custody. The children's biological father is in prison for a drug related charge.

LICKING, Mo.--The Texas county prosecutor will ask a citizen's jury on
March 12th whether they believe the deaths of two young boys were
accidental, or a homicide. The coroner's inquest could lead to charges
against their mother and grandparents.
7-year old Jesse and 4-year old Wyatt Bagley, of Licking, drowned
after wandering into the Big Piney river behind their house last
August. At the time, their mother and grandparents were supposed to be
watching them. They have never been charged in the deaths.
Now, prosecutor Mike Anderson wants a second opinion from a panel of six jurors.
The
group selected by the sheriff will take a look at all the evidence,
then make a recommendation to the prosecutor. He will then decide what,
if any, charges to file. It could range from negligent child abuse to
homicide.
"I'll have to wait and see before I make my decision," said Texas county prosecutor Mike Anderson.
Jennifer Bagley says her three-year-old daughter alerted her that her sons were missing.
"When she asked me where they were I couldn't find them and called 911 and everyone knows the outcome," said Bagley.
The daughter is now in state custody.
A
coroner's inquest is considered a rare process. Anderson says this is
only the second request in his eight years in Texas county.

A coroner's jury recommends felony charges be filed in the death of two
Texas County boys.

The bodies of 4-year-old Wyatt and 7-year-old
Jesse Bagley were found in the Big Piney River in August.

A
coroner's inquest on Friday determined whether their deaths were an
accident or a crime. This is not a verdict of guilt or innocence.

The
Texas County Prosecutor Mike Anderson will decide soon whether to file
charges which could range between manslaughter or child endangerment.
He heard testimony from six people who are convinced the Bagley boys
didn't die by accident, but rather criminal negligence by their mother.


Here's what led up to that decision.

"There's no question
that Jennifer isn't a good mother or that they were not being supervised
correctly on that day," explains Anderson.

But Anderson turned
to three men and six woman on Friday to help him decide whether Jennifer
Bagley contributed to the drowning of her two boys. Their ruling in
this coroner's inquest helps him determine whether to file charges.

"Based
on the information, the evidence I had, we felt it was a good idea to
take it to the citizens of the county and let them look at the evidence
and help us make that decision," says Anderson.

Friday's
testimony revolved around Bagley's parenting, her ability to supervise
her three children and her emotional state when Wyatt and Jesse went
missing.

"She was certainly did not show a lot of concern,
certainly not something a mother should show if she has two children
missing," testified Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson.

A Texas
County deputy testified that Bagley told him the boys couldn't swim.

He
said, "She stated they would go to river, but weren't to go
unsupervised."

In more testimony by a Missouri Highway Patrol
trooper, Bagley was seated in an out-kitchen working on beads, and had
trouble clearly seeing her children playing in the backyard and near the
river. Her home is about sixty yards from the water.

"She told
me boys were missing about an hour before she went looking for them,"
testified Trooper Warren Wiedemann.

The boys' bodies were found
the next morning. The coroner's jury took about an hour to reach a
verdict.

"We do find Jennifer Bagley criminally negligent," read
Texas County Coroner Thomas Whittaker.

"I will take it the jury's
recommendation back to my office and make my decision," says Anderson.

A
decision he says he'll make within the next week.

The Department
of Social Services has an extensive file on the Bagley family dating
back to 2005, which KOLR/KSFX has obtained. The first call was on the
hotline alleging that Jennifer Bagley's household conditions were
unsanitary.

Other hotline calls allege that some of the kids
weren't being fed and that Jesse was being abused by Jennifer's
boyfriend. Those files however were not presented at Friday's inquest,
so they didn't play a part in the recommendation for charges.

The mother of two Licking brothers who drowned
in August 2009 will face charges in their deaths after she was found
criminally negligent last week by a coroner's jury.

Shortly after
the verdict was read Friday afternoon inside the Texas County Justice
Center, Prosecutor Michael Anderson said he would file charges in 7-10
days against Jennifer Bagley. Anderson said charges against Bagley could
range from endangering the welfare of a child to manslaughter.

"I'll
look at the records again and take the jury's recommendation into
consideration before I make that decision," Anderson said. "Frankly, I
didn't make up my mind until the jury helped me make up my mind."

Texas
County Coroner Tom Whittaker said there were "lingering questions
surrounding the deaths" when he announced the inquest. It was just the
second of his 13-year career as coroner.

It took a jury of six --
three male and three female -- just over an hour to render Bagley
responsible for her sons' deaths.

Law enforcement officials
testified that Bagley was responsible for watching Jesse James Bagley,
7, and his 4-year-old brother, Wyatt Earp Bagley, when they disappeared
Aug. 9 behind their home in remote northwest Texas County. An overnight
search that included as many as 300 people ended the following morning
when their bodies were discovered in the Big Piney River about 200 yards
away from the home.

According to online court records, Jennifer Bagley is charged with two
counts of involuntary manslaughter.

A coroner’s inquest jury ruled was "criminally negligent" in not keeping her children safe. The
six-member jury gathered Friday 12, 2010 in Houston to hear evidence in
the drowning deaths of Jesse James Bagley, 7, and Wyatt Earp Bagley, 4.
The boys' bodies were found Aug. 10, 2009. They had vanished the day before.

The Texas County sheriff and a deputy both testified the
children's mother, Jennifer Bagley, never assisted in the search and
never appeared to be concerned the boys were missing.

Texas County Coroner Tom Whittaker called for an inquest in the case last
month. He told a newspaper in Houston he still had some lingering questions about the case.

At the time of the boys drowned, investigators said Jesse and Wyatt had no adult supervision when they
went to play by the river, which is near their home.

The Division of Social Services was also very familiar with the Bagley household.
Records show five hotline calls made to DSS -- before the boys vanished --
about the way the children were being treated.

The sheriff says her only other child, a 3-year-old girl, is in the children's division's custody.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010


Bagley Pleads Guilty To Son's Drowning Deaths, Sentenced To 90 Days:

A mother charged in Texas County with two counts of involuntary manslaughter has pleaded guilty for her son's drowning deaths last August.
Texas County Prosecutor Mike Anderson brought those charges against Jennifer Bagley last March after a coroner's jury found Jennifer Bagley was negligent in the deaths of Jesse James and Wyatt Earp Bagley.

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http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/2010/07/bagley-scheduled-to-plead-out-in-sons.html