Twisted David Harker has been behind bars for more than 27 years for butchering mum-of-four Julie Paterson in 1998. 

Harker cut off Ms Paterson’s limbs and head before disposing of her torso in a black sack and dumping it in a house on Polam Lane – and even boasted about frying her thigh and eating it. 

The now-51-year-old, who had already been refused parole eight times, faced another hearing on May 13, this year. 

But a parole board has once again denied Harker’s release or an open condition in order to  “protect the public from serious harm”.  

Harker was said to ‘charming’, but he had a chilling dark side (Image: Contributor)

The parole board decision summary reveals Harker, who became eligible for parole in 2013, chose not to make any representations about his release and did not attend the hearing. 

It details how there have been “signs of change” in his behaviour in custody, with no disciplinary findings since 2015.

He has also undertaken an intervention to increase motivation and engagement and a programme intended to strengthen the methods he can use to reduce violent tendencies. 

The panel considered a dossier containing 356 pages of reports, including submissions on behalf of the Secretary of State arguing against release.

The person responsible for managing Harker in prison, two probation officers who would be responsible for him in the community if he were to be released, and a psychologist all expressed the view that he did not pass the test for release or open conditions.

The panel decided not to release Harker. He has 21 days to appeal for reconsideration. 

Harker – who was likened to Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs – was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in February 1999.

At the time, psychiatrists who examined him on behalf of both the defence and the prosecution agreed that his responsibility for his actions at the time of the killing was “substantially diminished by a severe psychopathic disorder”.

He was jailed for life. 

Ms Paterson first went missing in April 1988 and a murder investigation was launched when parts of body were found in a bin liner hidden in a garden hedge the following month.

Julie Paterson went missing in April 1998 (Image: Contributor)

She was just 32 when she died – and the rest of her remains have never been recovered. 

Detectives believed the evil killer had kept her decapitated head in the corner of his bedroom for several days before deciding to remove it, with her limbs and head never being found. 

At the time, officers trawled through 20,000 tons of rubbish at Coxhoe tip, in County Durham, dragging rivers and ponds and searching sewers, but to no avail.

When Harker was held on remand at Ashworth Hospital, in Liverpool, before being convicted, he told The Northern Echo what had happened to the mother.

Police searching for Julie’s remains at a County Durham landfill site in 1998 (Image: North News)

While Harker had refused to talk to the police about it, he openly admitted his guilt to former Echo reporter Karen Westcott during a call, then through twisted letters, and then in person.

Harker, who has the words “subhuman” and “disorder” tattooed on his scalp, admitted in these letters that he was making a mask out of human skin and intended to use the flesh of his victims to complete it.

He wrote: “I would have gone on until I was caught.

“The coroner would be busy in Darlington if I ever got out.”

Harker also told the Echo in person that he had consensual sex with Julie at his flat on Harewood Grove before he strangled her with her tights in his bedroom.

He said coldly: “It just happened.”

Ms Paterson’s family have long pleaded with Harker to reveal where he disposed of her body.

However, he has refused to answer their desperate calls to finally put their beloved mam to rest.

Americans infected with the deadly strain of Ebola will be taken to European countries for treatment instead of the US, an official has revealed.  

Concern is growing over the outbreak of deadly Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent weeks.  

Now an official from Trump’s administration has said that any Americans who need advanced medical care would be transported to Europe, not the US, according to NBC News.  

US officials have set up a quarantine facility in Kenya to treat American patients, and it is set to open today with 50 beds.  

This will be the first stop for the exposed Americans before they are taken to another country in Europe. The destination countries have not yet been named.  

The Trump administration has insisted that the reason for the plan is shorter flights.  

One American citizen, a surgeon who had worked in a hospital in DRC, was taken to Germany with his family after contracting Ebola.  

Dr Peter Stafford treated a person infected with Ebola unknowingly before the outbreak was noticed. His wife, also a doctor, had operated on the same patient.  

Five others who were exposed were also transported to Germany, while one patient was taken to Czechia, Reuters reports.  

The US has put stringent measures in place in a bid to prevent Ebola from spreading to the country.  

Non-citizens who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days are blocked from entering the US.  

Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, said: ‘We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States.’ 

Death toll from the virus is mounting, with 223 suspected fatalities linked to the specific strain, which currently has no vaccine against it. Cases have soared to around 1,000.  

The recent outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship with people from dozens of countries complicated the response and where to take patients.  

MV Hondius, the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, was eventually allowed to dock in Tenerife, which sparked a protest on the island.  

Ebola in the DRC and Uganda has been declared a health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Efforts to tackle the outbreak in the DRC are hampered by ongoing internal conflict in the country, particularly in the eastern border regions controlled by various militias, and lack of resources.

Misinformation about the disease is also rife, which has led to violent clashes as mobs of people have forced their way into health clinics to reclaim bodies of loved ones.

The strain of Ebola behind the ongoing outbreak is known as the Bundibugyo strain. There is no vaccine, although scientists in Oxford are urgently developing one.

A vaccine for the strain could take up to nine months to create and roll out, the WHO has said.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: India reports first suspected Ebola case after woman travels from Uganda

MORE: Ebola patients who fled hospital set on fire by families ‘now evading treatment’

MORE: Makeshift Ebola hospital destroyed in fire after victim’s family try to take body

Muhammad Sheikhi was found guilty after a four-day trial at Stirling Sheriff Court.

A Syrian asylum seeker has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women in Falkirk. Muhammad Sheikhi, 23, carried out both attacks in the early hours of Sunday, November 30, last year, close to the Cladhan Hotel, where he had been staying.

He assaulted the first woman at a railway bridge on Kerse Lane, where he hugged her, repeatedly kissed her on the face and mouth, and put his hands under her clothing.

He then sexually assaulted a second woman in Kerse Lane and the nearby Bellsmeadow skate park, where he pinned her against a tree and put his hands under her clothing.

Sheikhi, who came to the UK by boat, denied all the charges against him. However, a jury found him guilty of both charges at Stirling Sheriff Court today, May 29, following a four-day trial. He is due to be sentenced on June 29.

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Addressing the jury on Friday morning before he sent them out to consider their verdicts, Sheriff Keith O’Mahony said: “It is important that your verdict is based on the evidence. It must not be swayed by any emotional considerations or prejudice or any revulsion you might have for the type of conduct which is alleged.”

Stirling Sheriff Court previously heard CCTV footage showed Sheikhi walking alongside one of the women in Kerse Lane while she wore his shoes and he walked in socks after allegedly giving her his footwear because her high heels had broken.

On Thursday, jurors were shown footage of Sheikhi’s police interview following his arrest at the hotel later that morning. During the interview, conducted through an Arabic interpreter, Sheikhi claimed he had taken “pity” on the second woman after seeing her crying by the roadside.

“She told me that she needs help to get home,” he said. “She was crying and she was wearing high heels and the straps were broken, they were snapped. When I saw her, we are human so I took pity on her. I took pity on her, I took off my shoes, I gave her my shoes.”

During the walk, Sheikhi seized the woman, pinned her against a tree and sexually assaulted her before later attacking her again at Bellsmeadow skate park with intent to rape her.

“I said to myself, ‘you’re doing something nice to people’,” he told police. “When I was walking to her address I thought the guy she was talking to over the phone … I thought they would be thanking me for helping her, walking her home. To me it was something like an act of kindness.”

Regarding the woman earlier in the night, Sheikhi claimed the woman approached him and asked where he was from before requesting his Snapchat details. Asked whether he hugged or kissed the woman, Sheikhi said she hugged him and “might have kissed” him, but he denied touching her sexually.

Giving his closing speech on Thursday, prosecutor Jamie Hilland put it to the jury that Sheikhi had acted in a “predatory” manner towards the two women.

“I suggest that the evidence demonstrates that in the early hours of November 30 last year, the accused behaved in a predatory manner towards these two women and he sexually assaulted them,” Mr Hilland said.

“There are compelling similarities between the two crimes. These were so closely linked in time and circumstances as to form part of a single course of criminal conduct systematically pursued by the accused.”

He added: “On their evidence the accused approached both women, he’s tried to give them his phone. He tried to get them to add him on Snapchat. In both cases he’s tried to corner the complainer, and he then sexually assaulted both of them.”

In his closing speech, Sheikhi’s lawyer Paul Keenan urged the jury to acquit his client of both charges, saying the evidence against him was “flawed throughout”.

He cast doubt on the credibility of both women, saying both had been drinking for hours before the alleged assaults were said to have taken place. He also said the fact Sheikhi had remained with one of his alleged victims while she was talking to her friend was not consistent with him having just sexually assaulted her.

He asked the jury: “If Sheikhi had sexually assaulted her with the intention of raping her, does it make sense for him to be hanging about while she’s talking with other people?”

He added: “I would say not.”

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Drivers were asked to use the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge on Thursday night due to a police-led incident on the old Severn crossing

A man has been arrested after the Severn Bridge was shut in both directions on Thursday evening.

• Drivers were told to avoid the M48 Severn Bridge on Thursday evening due to a police-led incident. The bridge was shut in both directions for a number of hours, with drivers asked to use the Prince of Wales Bridge instead.
• Officers were called to reports raising concerns for the safety of an individual on the bridge shrotly before 8pm. Avon and Somerset Police and Gwent Police attended the scene alongside other emergency services.
• A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the incident was brought to a safe conclusion at 10.30pm. The bridge reopened at 11pm.
• A man was arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and a racially-aggravated public order offence. He was taken to hospital as a precaution, police added.

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The Metropolitan Police are “reviewing footage” that shows Dame Helen Mirren being called an “evil Zionist b****” over her support for Israel.

Officers are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

The video began circulating on social media this week, but was filmed in 2025.

It shows Dame Helen walking along a street in Tower Hill in London with her husband, American film director Taylor Hackford.

The 80-year-old actor smiles and greets the man filming and asks if he is OK.

He then says: “And there is Helen Mirren the avowed Zionist. You said Israel should last forever because of the Holocaust. And she was very happy the Palestinians’ houses were gone.

“You are an evil Zionist b****. And you (Hackford) as well, f*** you as well.”

Dame Helen’s husband then stepped in and told the man to “f*** off” and leave them alone several times.

The clip was first posted by an anonymous account called Anti-Fascist Action UK.

The Met have now said they are trying to get in contact with Mirren to see if she wants to report the incident formally.

In a statement, a Met spokesperson said: “We are aware of a video circulating online, showing a man and a woman being subjected to antisemitic verbal abuse in Tower Hill.

“It is believed that the incident took place at the end of last year.

“Officers are currently reviewing the footage and making attempts to contact the victims to establish whether they would like to report the incident.

“The Met continues to work hard to tackle hate crimes of all types and officers across London have made more than 90 hate crime arrests since the end of March.

“If you believe you have been a victim of this type of crime please report it to us by calling 101 or making an online report.”

Dame Helen is not Jewish. She has long been a vocal advocate for Israel and in April signed an open letter alongside fellow stars, including Boy George and Sharon Osbourne, in which she pledged her support for the country’s inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Throughout her career she has also played several well-known Jewish figures, including Maria Altmann in Woman In Gold and former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir in the 2023 film Golda.

While promoting the film, she said: “I believe in Israel, in the existence of Israel, and I believe Israel has to go forward into the future, for the rest of eternity. I believe in Israel because of the Holocaust.”

Dame Helen first visited Israel in 1967 not long after the Six-Day War, where she volunteered on Kibbutz HaOn near the Sea of Galilee.

Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick has said he was “disgusted” at the footage, telling LBC: “I was disgusted by it, but antisemitism is unfortunately rife, and nobody who is either Jewish or has voiced support for the British Jewish community should be being harassed on the streets of our country.

“It’s not just antisemitism, it’s anti-British. Everyone should be able to walk the streets of our country in safety, free from harassment.”

Why does cola taste different in a glass bottle vs a can or plastic bottle?

Then, there’s temperature to consider

William Adams was entranced by energy. As a young man, his interest was nursed by working as a clerk in a London patent office in the 1860s. This gave him an early look at some of the first British designs for exploiting solar energy using mirrors, water or both.

Adams would later recount his excitement at reading about the French mathematician Augustin Mouchot’s invention of the first machine ever to run on energy from the Sun. The device, which connected a solar boiler to a specifically designed steam engine, was warmly received by Napoleon III when it was presented to the emperor in 1866.

Inspired, Adams soon designed and patented his own rudimentary solar boiler. The only problem was, he needed more sun.

This series is dedicated to lesser-known, highly influential scientists who have had a powerful influence on the careers and research paths of many others, including the authors of these articles.

When offered the chance to become deputy registrar of Bombay by the Indian city’s governor, Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse, Adams jumped at the opportunity. There, he became the first Briton to design, build and test a fully-functioning solar steam engine fit for industrial purpose.

But he also came up against the conservatism of India’s colonial rulers, who did not see this Bombay bureaucrat for the energy visionary that he undoubtedly was.

‘The rays beat like missiles’

Adams arrived in Bombay in 1873 to find it in the middle of a cotton boom, with mills popping up like mushrooms across the city. The population was growing so quickly that firewood was depleted for miles around. The landscape grew “bald as a billiard ball”, as Adams put it.

Every morning before setting off for work near Bombay’s central fort, Adams would set up his outdoor laboratory at his home in the southernmost Colaba district, near the open sea. He instructed an Indian fundhi (skilled carpenter) to build a set of three-tiered wooden shelves to hold 18 looking glasses.

“Each glass was moveable on a swivel in the same manner as an ordinary toilet glass”, Adams explained, meaning he could pivot each glass by “the touch of the finger”.

Later, for open-air experiments, Adams used two banks of mirrors (36 in total) which made “the mercury in the thermometer boil, leaping up to over 670 degrees fahrenheit”. He then placed a copper cylinder containing three gallons of water in the focus of all 36 mirrors, making it boil in exactly 20 minutes.

But Adams’s ambition did not end there. To reach sufficient pressure in the boiler to drive a steam engine, this bureaucrat-cum-engineer built a giant concave mirror, 24 feet in diameter. He then sent for his London solar boiler, which was delivered by ship to Bombay in 1876.

One fine morning, Adams – wearing dark glasses for safety – turned his giant concave mirror on the copper cylinder filled with water. “The rays beat like missiles in a continuous and incessant storm of solar fire,” he wrote.

An hour later, the cylinder registered 55 pounds of pressure per square inch. He hired a steam engine of 3 horsepower and connected it to the boiler: the pressure moved the pistons. Adams had built the first working, British-designed solar steam engine.

For a fortnight, he kept the pump going near his bungalow in Colaba – proudly and sweatily displaying his innovation to government officials, newspaper reporters, mill owners and the local Indian communities. Members of the public were invited to witness his experiments too, via a notification in a Bombay newspaper.

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‘An inexhaustible source of wealth’

In 1877, Adams wrote a letter to the editor of the Times of India arguing that the application of his solar steam engine would “make India the seat of the principal manufacturing industries of the world”.

Later, in his wildly ahead-of-its-time treatise Solar Heat: A Substitute for Fuel in Tropical Countries (1878), Adams argued that countries near the equator “possess, in their clear skies, a gratuitous and inexhaustible source of wealth, equal to that which western nations have to dig, with infinite labour and toil, from the bowels of the Earth”.

Adams sketched out plans to use solar heat for everything from cotton gins (engines to separate cotton fibres from seeds) to Hindu crematoria. He called upon the colonial British government to invest in this promising substitute for coal, which was then being imported to India at great expense.

Adams envisioned solar energy transforming the Raj. Just like the coal-combusting steam engine had replaced the waterwheel in England, he argued that thermal heat could now replace fossil fuels in India. But his colonial bosses were not persuaded.

‘Too subversive’

Adams was part of a 19th-century wave of global research into solar steam engines, as I explore in my postdoctoral project and upcoming book. But in contrast to fellow pioneers including Frenchman Mouchot, Adams built his solar steam engine to stimulate local Indian industry, not to benefit the colonial government.

The locals shared Adams’s belief in this technology. One even wrote to Scientific American magazine to express their desire for the rapid adoption of solar power:

My residence is in a tropical part of India … where fuel is scarce and dear … In this part of the country (about 300 miles north of Bombay), there is a great opening for cheap power in small units.

Bombay’s new governor Sir Richard Temple concluded, however, that solar heat “could not be used for commercial purposes on a large scale”. He argued that local factory owners would not like giving “the workmen a holiday on days when the sky is not clear”.

In truth, Adams’s invention was too subversive for Britain’s colonial officials and capitalists. In less sunny climes, solar energy – tethered to the seasonal rhythms of nature – might negate their commercial ambition for timeless industrial production. But they also saw India as an important market for British coal exports.

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While a few mill owners adopted Adams’s auxiliary solar heater for their steam engines, most regarded it as a primitive contraption unfit to satisfy the demands of modern civilisation.

Increasingly frustrated that neither the industrial capitalists nor the colonial government supported his vision, Adams abandoned further experiments. His dream of India switching away from coal to solar power, from combustion to concentration, would not happen for at least another century.

Now, however, India is a world leader in the global energy transition. It heads the International Solar Alliance, and is the third largest solar power generator in the world.

Which begs the question: how much further advanced would this technology be had Adams’s 19th-century solar experiments been embraced by India’s colonial rulers at the time?

Millions of people in the UK suffer from joint pain and arthritis. But with long wait times for scans, specialist appointments, physiotherapy and joint replacement surgery, many people turn to over-the-counter medicines, such as ibuprofen, to manage their joint pain, stay active and continue working.

Ibuprofen is one of the most prescribed drugs in England and one of the UK’s most purchased over-the-counter medicines.

Although ibuprofen is cheap and effective in the short term, it is not risk free – especially when used frequently.

Ibuprofen belongs to a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. These medicines work by reducing inflammation, swelling and pain.

For joint pain flare-ups, this can improve comfort and movement temporarily. Research suggests NSAIDs can provide modest short-term pain relief for arthritis, particularly during painful episodes.

But while it can ease symptoms, it does not address the underlying joint changes associated with arthritis, such as cartilage deterioration, bone changes and joint inflammation.

Some people may also come to rely on ibuprofen without trying other approaches to pain management, such as exercise, weight loss and physiotherapy, which are important for long-term joint health.

Why long-term use can become a problem

Many people assume that because ibuprofen is available without a prescription, it must be relatively harmless. But “over-the-counter” does not always mean “low risk”.

One of the main hazards of long-term ibuprofen use is stomach irritation. Ibuprofen can damage the stomach lining and increase the risk of ulcers and internal bleeding. Some people develop indigestion or stomach pain, while others may not notice symptoms until serious bleeding occurs.

This risk becomes greater with higher doses (particularly 2400mg a day or more), prolonged use over weeks to months and if a person is over the age of 65.

Ibuprofen can also harm the kidneys. The kidneys rely on healthy blood flow to work properly, and NSAIDs can reduce this blood supply. They do this by blocking the body’s natural chemicals that help keep blood vessels in the kidneys open, particularly during illness and periods of dehydration or reduced circulation.

This can injure the kidneys or worsen their function, particularly in people who are dehydrated, or those with chronic kidney disease or heart disease.

There are cardiovascular concerns, too. Long-term NSAID use has been associated with raised blood pressure, fluid retention and increased risk of heart complications in some patients.

Asthma is another important consideration. Some people with asthma are sensitive to NSAIDs and may experience wheezing or breathing difficulties after taking ibuprofen. This is thought to happen because NSAIDs alter natural chemicals in the body that help keep the airways open.

Older adults with joint pain are also more likely to be taking multiple prescribed medicines. Taking ibuprofen alongside blood pressure tablets, blood thinners, antidepressants or certain diabetes medications can increase the risk of complications or reduce how effectively other medicines work.

This is particularly important because osteoarthritis becomes more common with age. So the people most likely to use ibuprofen regularly are often those most vulnerable to its side-effects.

This doesn’t mean ibuprofen should never be used. For many people, short-term use at the lowest effective dose can be helpful. But regular, long-term use without consulting a doctor is where concerns begin to increase.

Alternatives to ibuprofen

Ibuprofen isn’t the only option for managing joint pain and stiffness.

Exercise, for instance, has strong research backing as a treatment for osteoarthritis.

This may sound counterintuitive to someone already in pain, but strengthening the muscles around painful joints can reduce pressure, improve movement and decrease symptoms over time. Walking, cycling, swimming and strengthening exercises – such as resistance exercise – can all help.

Weight management is also important, particularly for knee and hip pain. This is because reducing body weight can lessen stress and inflammation on joints.

Physiotherapy is also effective at helping people improve strength, mobility and confidence while learning how to manage flare-ups safely. Many GP practices across the UK now provide access to NHS First Contact Physiotherapists. These specialist physiotherapists can assess joint pain without patients needing to see a GP first.

They can help identify when pain may require further investigation, advise on exercise and self-management strategies, and support people in making informed decisions about medication use.

Other strategies that may help you manage joint pain include pacing your activities (breaking tasks into smaller periods with breaks), heat therapy (which can help relax muscles and reduce stiffness) and supportive footwear. Anti-inflammatory gels that are applied to the skin can also help reduce symptoms with fewer whole-body side-effects than tablets.

For some people, ibuprofen may still play an important role alongside these measures. But pain management is rarely about finding a single quick fix. Instead, it’s usually about balancing symptom relief with long-term health and function.

With NHS waiting lists continuing to experience pressure, more people are likely to depend on medicines such as ibuprofen to remain active and independent. But understanding both the benefits and harms of treatment choices is essential.

Ibuprofen can still be useful for managing joint pain. But it’s important it’s used safely, appropriately and alongside better long-term approaches for managing joint health.

Police were called to a property in the town on Thursday (May 28) to reports that a woman had been sexually assaulted. 

North Yorkshire Police launched a “high profile” search of the area on Thursday evening and arrested a white, British 26-year-old from County Durham. He remains in custody.

A man in his 40s and a man in his 20s were also arrested in connection yesterday morning, but have been released with no further action and eliminated from the investigation. 

The force said the victim is being offered specialist support following the incident.

Inspector Rory Sadler, of Hambleton Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This has been a hugely distressing incident for the victim and has caused alarm in the wider community.

“It’s been a fast-moving investigation and there will continue to be a visible police presence in the area to reassure concerned residents.

“I’d like to provide some clarity about rumours circulating in the community. 

“A white British man from the Durham area has been arrested in connection with this incident. 

“I’m aware there is some speculation about links to a separate burglary in the Hambleton area. However, I can confirm police are treating these incidents as unrelated.

“I’d also stress that the incident in Northallerton is isolated and we are not looking for anyone else as part of our investigation.”

LAKE OZARK, Mo. (AP) — A facility deep in rural Missouri promises relief for desperate parents whose adopted kids are struggling — a lakeside, summer camp-like academy where kids can heal by bonding with golden retrievers, and where caring employees “create joy.”

The company that operates the place known as Calo Programs says it exists “to serve the hardest-to-treat cases — the students and families the broader system has given up on.”

But an Associated Press investigation paints a more complicated and less idyllic picture.

Law enforcement is often called to Calo to investigate assaults or track down runaways. State agencies that pay to send kids there have questioned its operations, training and transparency. Parents and former employees say there is minimal treatment and barely any schooling, with only young, poorly trained staff to supervise the kids. Two mothers described it as something out of “Lord of the Flies.”

The price is steep and taxpayers often pick up the tab. Also known as Change Academy at Lake of the Ozarks, Calo has charged up to $20,000 a month to treat adopted children. Some stay for years.

It is part of the so-called troubled teen industry, a sprawling network of loosely regulated, for-profit residential centers, boarding schools and wilderness programs that have been quietly institutionalizing adopted children at extraordinarily high rates — adoptees are as much as 10 times more likely to be sent away than the general population.

A deep dive into Calo’s practices — how it makes money, and what happens to kids under its watch — offers a window into a larger phenomenon: Some youth treatment centers, backed by private equity companies, share a business model that depends on government funding, despite limited oversight and few consequences for negligence.

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For years, deputies often visited Calo for runaways, injuries, vandalism and assaults. When the AP asked about 17 specific reports involving serious incidents during the last five years, Chief Deputy Colonel Scott Hines of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office said most were found to be unsubstantiated.

The Missouri Department of Social Services is also called to Calo. Baylee Watts, a department spokesperson, declined to comment on individual cases, citing closed and confidential records, and said its role was to respond to every report and assist law enforcement.

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Hines said Calo itself has never been investigated for wrongdoing.

But Edgar, who took office in January 2025, said after the girl stole the truck, he demanded Calo officials be more accountable.

“There was a lot of cases that they would not give witness statements. They wouldn’t talk to law enforcement. In a sense, preventing us from being able to investigate stuff. And that was one of the things that I had a problem with,” he said.

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Edgar said he even threatened to put them in jail if they prevented officers from going inside or interviewing kids and staff.

“They have the care, custody and control of the child, so therefore, I feel the responsibility would bear with them,” Edgar said.

Calo insisted it has a great relationship with Edgar’s office, and sent a photograph of a letter on Edgar’s letterhead supporting their business.

Edgar, whose son has worked at Calo, declined to send the letter directly to AP. He instead offered a different statement that says his office’s relationship with Calo has improved, including allowing deputies unrestricted access: “I know things were not like this in the past, but this is refreshing to know everyone is working together.”

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He didn’t respond to follow-up questions.

Calo said its facility is open and unlocked, a place where “students are free to move throughout the campus rather than being confined to their rooms or a single building.” The girl who stole the truck, it said, was later sent to a facility with higher-level care, including locked doors, due to her history of running away.

“In this instance, a neighbor unfortunately left his keys in an unlocked car with doors wide open. A student who eloped took advantage of the accessible vehicle,” Calo said.

Pierce, the neighbor, told the sheriff’s office he didn’t want to press charges against the girl, but wanted Calo held accountable.

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Pierce’s daughter, meanwhile, took to social media. She urged that Calo be investigated because she believed the children there weren’t safe.

In response, Pierce said, a Calo employee admonished him and his daughter for the post, pleading with Pierce to take it down. He should keep a closer eye on his child, he was told.

Pierce was aghast. He wasn’t worried about his own kid, he said. He was worried about theirs.

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