WINFIELD – The Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney is investigating child abuse and trafficking allegations that include the swap of a child for a monkey.

Prosecutor Mike Wood said his office started receiving phone calls last week regarding a Winfield woman accused of physically abusing some of the dozens of children she has adopted and fostered the last 20 years.

One of those children, a 14-year-old girl, was reported missing in December 2024, before authorities located her in Texas in early February.

However, she remains in state custody in Texas amidst allegations of physical abuse and reports the foster traded her to the Texas family for a monkey.

In an interview with the Lincoln County Journal Wednesday morning, Wood said after requesting them on Monday, by Tuesday afternoon his office had collected investigative reports from numerous agencies, including the Troy Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department and several in Texas including the Texas Department of Family and Services.

Due to the multi-jurisdictional nature of the case, Wood has also solicited outside help.

“Due to the interstate and jurisdictional issues associated with this case, I’ve requested that the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team provide investigative support in this matter,” Wood said in a public statement issued Monday.

As of Wednesday morning, Wood confirmed another foster child is still residing in the residence. However, while he can’t order the removal of the child, after reviewing some of the reports, he has recommended as such to the sheriff’s department and Division of Family Services.

As of presstime, no charges have been filed against the woman, but Wood said that could change as he reviews the reports.

“I’ve asked for all those reports to be brought to me so we can see where we stand,” Wood said. “After we have the chance to review those reports, we will make the determination what to do in terms of pursuing criminal charges.”

In addition to the phone calls coming into his office, Wood also mentioned several Facebook posts mentioning the investigation, prompting his office’s statement.

“There was a lot of outrage and concern nothing was being done about this case,” Wood said. “So I wanted to communicate we are taking this very seriously. And if we find evidence a crime was committed, charges will be filed.”

Editor’s Note: Despite the serious allegations, the Journal will not identify the accused unless charges are filed.