Four arrested for victim tampering

CHARLESTON -- Several Charleston residents are facing felony charges after an investigation by the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department revealed evidence of victim tampering.

According to Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore, the investigation began last week when Jail Administrator Cory Hutcheson learned inmate Jadarius McCain, 19, of Charleston had tampered with the victim in his pending assault case.

The subsequent investigation revealed that McCain had placed several calls from the Mississippi County Detention Center to members of his family, and during those calls, he and his relatives had communicated with and attempted to influence the testimony of two victims in his pending first degree assault case.

During an interview conducted last week with McCain, Deputies Mike Borders and Hutcheson strengthened the existing probable cause to believe the inmate had solicited several members of his family to engage in victim tampering on his behalf.

According to the deputy's report, those involved included McCain's mother, Jackie Sue McCain, 53, of Charleston; his brother, Demarcus Turner, 23, of Cape Girardeau; and his sister, Nataka LaShane McCain, 30, of Charleston.

On Thursday, Jackie McCain was located by Borders and Hutcheson, placed under arrest and then transported to the Mississippi County Detention Center.

Jackie McCain later participated in a videotaped interview which contributed to the development of probable cause to believe she had contacted the victim in her son's pending case for the purpose of asking the victim to testify falsely in an upcoming hearing.

Based on the information obtained by that point in the investigation, Hutcheson submitted a report and obtained arrest warrants for Jadarius McCain, Jackie McCain, Turner and Nataka McCain.

On Tuesday, Turner and Nataka McCain were located in Charleston and taken into custody by Moore, Chief Deputy Charlie Marcum, Capt. Ken Story, Borders and Hutcheson.

Following those arrests, interviews conducted with Turner and Nataka McCain corroborated the information obtained earlier in the investigation.

Jadarius McCain is charged with three counts of tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution, a class C felony punishable upon conviction by up to seven years in the Department of Corrections. Bond for Jadarius McCain is set at $300,000 cash only.

Jackie McCain and Nataka McCain are each charged with one count of tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution. Their bonds were set at $25,000 cash only.

Turner is charged with one count of tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution. Bond for Turner was set at $100,000 cash only.

Persons convicted of victim tampering are not eligible for parole.