Next steps in Cassidy Rainwater murder case to begin next year, Norton’s lawyer withdraws

Jordan Meier, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read

Attorneys have scheduled preliminary hearings for the two men charged with killing Dallas County woman, Cassidy Rainwater.

James Phelps appeared via video in Dallas County court on Friday morning as attorneys set the date for his preliminary hearing, where it will be determined if the state has enough evidence to move ahead in charging Phelps with first-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse and kidnapping.

According to court documents, the evidence against Phelps and his co-defendant, Timothy Norton, includes gruesome photos of Rainwater as well as her remains that were found on Phelps’ property.

More: Murder charges filed, gruesome details released in Cassidy Rainwater case

After being arrested in September for kidnapping, Phelps' and Norton’s cases have had a series of scheduling and motion hearings, with first-degree murder charges and abandonment of a corpse charges being tacked on in November after investigators say DNA results came back confirming that remains found on Phelps’ property belonged to Rainwater.

Part of Rainwater’s remains were found in a freezer with the date “7-24” on them, and her bones were found elsewhere on Phelps' property, which burned down in a fire after his arrest, according to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. Photos sent to the FBI also show Rainwater being held in a cage and strung up on a gantry crane, eviscerated and dismembered, according to court documents.

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Court documents say that, during an interview with law enforcement, Norton confessed to the murder and allegedly said that Rainwater was killed when Phelps placed a bag over her head and strangled her while Norton helped hold her legs down.

Norton also allegedly told investigators that he had helped Phelps carry Rainwater's body outside where Phelps tied her to the crane, then eviscerated and dismembered her body.

Phelps will be back in court on Feb. 4 for his preliminary hearing, while Norton's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2.

However, prior to his preliminary hearing, Norton will also appear in court on Dec. 21 for a motion hearing. His lawyer, Branden Twibell, has withdrawn as representation and Thomas Kirsch out of Jefferson City has taken over Norton's defense. Twibell did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Prosecutors have not charged Phelps or Norton with crimes involving other victims. But at a hearing in November, Dallas County Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Barker said that Norton told law enforcement the two would “troll the internet and a nearby Walmart for victims.”

Phelps and Norton will remain in jail as their cases progress.

Jordan Meier covers public safety for the Springfield News-Leader. Contact her at jmeier@news-leader.com, (417) 597-7663 or on Twitter @Jordan_Meier644.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Lawyer withdraws in Cassidy Rainwater murder case in Dallas County