Cassidy Rainwaters was a 33 year old who went missing in late May 2021 in WindyVille Dallas county, Missouri. Her disappearance was reported by her friend on July 21,2021. She told the the police that she had not heard from Cassidy for six weeks which was quite unusual. She said the last time she saw her she left with with a man called Jim in a silver colored GMC truck who was said to have a cabin in Moon Valley.
The police followed up on the tip and went to the cabin at moon valley to do a wellness check on Cassidy and met the man named Jim also known as James Phelps who said Cassidy spent two weeks at his cabin while trying to get back on her feet. He said that she moved to Miami overnight after her stay. Afterwards, the police searched the property and its surroundings and found no trace of Cassidy in the property.
THE BIZZARE TURN IN THE CASE
It remained an unsolved case until September 2021, when the FBI received an anonymous tip with pictures of Cassidy half naked, hands and feet bound and locked in a cage.
This led to the FBI contacting the Dallas county sheriff and a joint investigation ensued. The Dallas county police department and the FBI detectives carried out a joint raid in James Phelps’ property where they discovered loads of evidence which includes a gantry device, a cage, items in a freezer that turned out to be human flesh with a date 7-24 written on it. Skeletal remains believed to be Cassidy were located in the adjacent building and digital evidences from several electronic devices. Over 200 pieces of evidence were recovered in total.
THE ARREST
James Phelps and Timothy Norton, a trucker who had been living on Phelps’ property were initially arrested and charged with kidnapping Cassidy Rainwater in September, 2021 but have now been charged with first-degree murder in November 2021 after remains recovered at Phelps’ property were positively identified as Rainwater’s by an FBI crime lab.
The new charges come as police reveal disturbing new details about Rainwater’s final moments, which included being strangled by the two men before being gutted and dismembered. Photos recovered from Phelps’ home depicted Rainwater’s body bound to a gantry crane and her evisceration and dismemberment.
Norton allegedly confessed to the murder, stating that Phelps had him come over while Rainwater was sleeping so he had easy access to attack her. Norton held Rainwater’s legs down while Phelps allegedly strangled her and smothered her by placing a bag over her head. Phelps then bound Rainwater to the gantry crane and dismembered her.
The motive for the crime has not been revealed, but police say Phelps and Norton planned it in advance after digital evidence revealed messages between James Phelps and Timothy Norton planning the murder were discovered.
Authorities have stated that they have found no evidence to suggest that there are other victims linked to James Phelps and Timothy Norton, and that the investigation is still ongoing. Suspicions continued to build as James Phelps home at the center of the investigation in October was burned down. Authorities discovered tripwires and a “live incendiary device” on the property and ruled it as a case of arson, adding to the already disturbing nature of the case.