Felony charges filed in sweeping Lawrence County Amish vandalism investigation
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A Stotts City woman faces three felony charges for allegedly vandalising Amish property in Lawrence County.
35-year-old Rachel Lea Klemp was charged Friday with first-degree property damage, first-degree harassment, and second-degree burglary. She also faces misdemeanor first-degree trespassing.
According to court documents, the investigation began July 18 when a Missouri Department of Conservation agent found several people trying to recover an Amish buggy from a creek.
Investigators learned the buggy had been stolen and dragged behind a side-by-side UTV.
A witness said members of the group were slicing the buggy's canvas with knives, smashing it with a sledgehammer handle, and attempting to set it on fire.
The buggy was pushed 15 feet off a bridge into the water below. Its estimated replacement cost was $14,000.
The destruction reportedly continued along nearby roads.
According to the probable cause statement, the side-by-side drove through a cornfield, where the driver did donuts in the crops and caused $2,500 in damage.
A witness also told police that someone fired a Roman candle firework at a parked pickup and caused a near-collision with an ATV rider at a railroad crossing.
Investigators then uncovered an accidental voicemail recording where Klemp's husband, Jimmie Huff, and Levi Boggs talked about stealing an Amish buggy and testing how far an Amish horse could run.
The investigation also revealed extensive vandalism at another Amish property.
Justin Sullivan told investigators that six people, including Klemp, entered the property after walking through the woods from Huff's residence.
Sullivan alleged Klemp spray-painted graffiti while others smashed windows, destroyed barn lights, damaged electrical equipment, and broke ceiling fans.
Court documents also describe a house that burned to the ground, destroying a second structure and a zero-turn mower.
Sullivan told investigators some members of the group discussed setting the house on fire.
On August 3, investigators searched a residence belonging to Huff and Klemp, who is also identified in the affidavit as Rachel Huff.
Authorities seized three cellphones, a sledgehammer handle, a gas can, and part of an Amish buggy.
Although the investigation details a series of destructive incidents, Klemp is not charged with stealing the buggy or setting the residence on fire.
She will be back in court in December.
