PIKE COUNTY, Mo. – A grieving godmother suspected foul play in the death of Nathaniel Mueller. Now, a police chief says she was right.
Bowling Green’s Police Chief held a news conference Friday about why he believes a sheriff’s deputy in his same town helped hide the truth from a family in mourning.
The victim’s mother, Tammy Mueller, was there, sobbing.
“My son worked hard—took care of his daughter,” Mueller said.
She was surrounded by family and friends outside the Pike County Courthouse as Police Chief Ty Bounds delivered a bombshell.
“The family deserves the truth about what happened to their son,” Col. Bounds said.
23-year-old Nathaniel mueller was pursuing his dream as a fitness influencer.
“This is what I want to do is help others achieve their goals,” he said in a video FOX 2 obtained.
He disappeared mysteriously this past December and was then found dead Feb. 28 in a pond. FOX 2 interviewed Mueller’s godmother, Ashley Ashby, Thursday.
“There’s somebody out here that knows what happened,” Ashby said at the time.
Friday, police chief Bounds confirmed Ashby’s suspicions—calling out other cops.
“It is clear that the Pike County Sheriff’s Office knew the location of Mueller’s body for a month prior to this discovery of his remains,” he said.
Bounds says he found out while analyzing robbery suspect cell phones, finding unsettling text messages connected to Mueller’s disappearance.
“We were able to connect a close, intimate relationship between one of the suspects in the robbery and a high-ranking official in the Pike County Sheriff’s Office,” Bounds said.
He would not name names, but said the evidence is now with his attorney, Chris Lozano.
“I know there are going to be repercussions. We are ready for them,” Lozano said.
Bounds added, “If I’m getting silenced because of exposing corruption in this County, then what the hell am I doing here anyway?”
Meanwhile, Meuller’s car was nearby—the same one found running with his keys, wallet and clothing. It’s not even in evidence.
Ashby told FOX 2, “That car, the day of the disappearance, they called the mother and told the mother to come get the vehicle.”
FOX 2 asked, “Who gave up this car?”
“One of the officers that is in question,” Ashby responded.
The Pike County Sheriff answered by email, saying he had no comment about the police chief’s allegations or Mueller’s car.
Sheriff Stephen Korte did confirm that the chief deputy in question does remain working for the sheriff’s department.
The entire investigation has now been taken over by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Attorney General’s Office is appointed as special prosecutor.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
