CASS COUNTY, Mo. — A former Grandview police officer accused of two murders and a rape wants the Cass County prosecutor removed from the case. The judge won’t allow it.
Jeffrey Moreland is accusing the prosecutor of unethical conduct. Moreland is accused of murdering Harrisonville mom, Cara Jo Roberts in 2008. Police say they collected DNA from 67 people during the three year investigation. Two of those were local attorneys who at one time had been identified as possible persons of interest.
According to Moreland’s motion for a special prosecutor, both attorneys had their DNA collected surreptitiously by seizing a coffee cup that each of the suspects had been using while in the office of the Cass County prosecuting attorney.
It turns out, the DNA cleared both men long before Jeffrey Moreland appeared on police radar. But, Moreland’s defense attorney says it was improper for Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley to help police collect evidence.
In the state’s response, Hensley says “The Harrisonville Police Department collected trash at the prosecutor’s office and the Harrisonville Police Department was responsible for the chain of custody at all times.”
Moreland’s defense team wanted a special prosecutor assigned to the case. The judge ruled no saying Hensley’s actions showed no bias towards Moreland. In a statement, Hensley tells FOX 4, “The outcome of the hearing speaks for itself. We are pleased with the Judge’s ruling and we will continue to go forward in the prosecution of this case.”
The judge did agree that the jury in this case will be bused in from another Missouri county because of pre-trial publicity.
