SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — The man accused of kidnapping, raping and killing a 10-year-old Springfield girl is trying to distance himself from handwritten stories about child rape and sodomy allegedly found in his home.
Prosecutors are trying to match Craig Michael Wood’s handwriting to the writing on the child pornography stories.
Wood is accused of raping and killing fourth-grader Hailey Owens in February after forcing her into his pickup truck while she walked home. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The Springfield News-Leader reports Wood’s attorney, Patrick Berrigan, said in a court motion that a letter taken from Wood to tie him to the stories should be kept out of evidence because it was seized improperly. Berrigan also argues handwriting comparison science is not trustworthy.
