Lawsuit claims deputies released dozens of teens after responding to a party filled with alcohol, drugs

By Sunni Battin

Special to the Journal

LINCOLN COUNTY –  A wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies of releasing an intoxicated teenager minutes before she caused a fiery two-car accident that killed four people.

The family of Rachael “Grace” Neldon of Elsberry is claiming law enforcement officers failed to follow proper protocols after responding to a party in rural Old Monroe where numerous teenagers were found drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. 

The lawsuit accuses officers of sending the intoxicated teens home, instructing them which direction to drive on the highway. 

The Incident
Neldon, 23, was minutes away from her home on April 29, 2023, after spending the evening at a friend’s house, when a Chevrolet Impala on Highway 79, just south of Route C allegedly crossed the centerline in an effort to pass and struck her car, instantly taking her life.

The other vehicle was carrying four teenagers and three of them died, including the 16-year-old driver, identified in the lawsuit as Ashley Harris, and two 15-year-old passengers. 
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) crash report, the incident occurred at 11:45 p.m. when Harris’ Impala collided with Neldon’s Hyundai Elantra, traveling north. 

The 18-year-old male passenger was the sole survivor.

According to the lawsuit, Harris had alcohol, marijuana and cocaine in her system. 

Lawsuit Details

The defendants named in the lawsuit are the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, Deputies A. Ryan and J. Williams, Sgt. Joseph Kenney, Lt. Eric Redman and Amelia and Andrew Titone, the parents of the boy accused of hosting the party, and Brian Buie, Amelia’s ex-husband who also owns the home where the party took place.

Williams, Ryan, and Kenney responded to a peace disturbance April 29 in Old Monroe. According to the lawsuit, upon reaching the residence, the deputies parked their vehicles at the only entrance, blocking any vehicles from leaving.

As the deputies exited their vehicles and approached the home, they allegedly saw “dozens of juveniles in the front yard and numerous parked vehicles.”

“The deputies then made contact with an individual identified as ‘Jake’  (a minor and son of the homeowners) that stated this was his home and his party…,” per the lawsuit. “The deputies proceeded to enter the home and saw more juveniles inside. The deputies also saw alcoholic beverages, smelled the scent of alcohol, and smelled marijuana, ‘emanating from the home.’”

The lawsuit further alleges instead of contacting the juveniles’ parents, Ryan made contact with “Jake’s brother.” The lawsuit claims he told deputies they should force the juveniles to depart the party.

“Rather than follow any law enforcement policies or procedures, the deputies listened to the brother’s instructions,” the lawsuit stated. “The deputies then gathered a multitude of the juveniles present, instructed them to get in their vehicles, and told those juveniles they would instruct them on the direction the deputies wanted them to travel when leaving the residence. The deputies did this knowing that many of these juveniles were drunk, high, a combination of the two, or likely on other drugs.”

There are three counts in the lawsuit. The first two implicate the  LCSO and deputies. The final count is negligent supervision by the homeowners. The lawsuit states they were responsible for the supervision of “Jake,” a minor and allegedly failed and “breached”
that duty and care.

LCSO Response

Sheriff Rick Harrell responded to the crash that night and was informed of the main circumstances involved in the incident.

“I want to express that the loss of life that occurred on April 29, 2023, was a tragedy that deeply affected many in our community,” Harrell said. “I will never forget the heartbreak experienced by those involved.”

Harrell says the crash was “investigated independently” by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a separate internal affairs investigation was not done at the time “but cooperated fully with the MSHP.” Harrell says “specific allegations in the lawsuit were brought forward after the fact, and we will review them closely.”

Three of the officers, Kenney, the Hawk Point Police Chief, Redman, and Williams are still with the LCSO.