New Madrid County Sheriff's Office

05/27/2026

On Monday May 25th at about 3:30 in the morning, deputies responded to a home on Weeks Street in Lilbourn for a report of gunshots fired at a house. When the first deputy arrived, he found that a twelve-year-old girl who was in her bedroom at the time of the shooting had been hit in the hand and the abdomen. She was immediately transported to the hospital and is still hospitalized in stable condition. Sheriff’s Office investigators responded to the scene and found that the house had been hit by at least six bullets, with one of the bullets recovered from the wall and another recovered from the victim in surgery. In addition, several spent shell casings of an uncommon caliber were found in the street in front of the house.

Deputies were later able to locate surveillance footage in the area of a vehicle believed to have been involved in the shooting. On the morning of May 26th, the suspect vehicle was found at a house in Sikeston and the owner was contacted. During the search of the suspect’s home and vehicle, ammunition was found along with the handgun believed to have been used in the shooting.

A 17-year-old juvenile is in custody for Assault 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action. The case has been turned over to the New Madrid County Juvenile Office, and at this time no further information will be released due to the age of the offender.

I’d like thank the Sikeston Department of Public Safety and the Stoddard County Sheriff's Office for their assistance in this case. In particular, Sikeston DPS detectives were integral in helping our deputies retrieve evidence related to the crime.

Joey Higgerson
New Madrid County Sheriff

05/25/2026

At approximately 3:30 this morning deputies responded to a shooting on Weeks Street in Lilbourn. The caller's house had been struck by gunfire and a 12-year-old child inside the house was also struck. The child was transported by ambulance and is currently in stable condition.

A neighborhood canvass of the immediate area has already been conducted, but investigators are asking for the public's help related to the shooting. If you live in the area of Weeks, N. 4th, N. 5th, or N. 6th Streets and have surveillance cameras or saw anything suspicious, please contact the New Madrid County Sheriff's Office at (573)748-2516 or (573)748-5226.

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05/17/2026

05/11/2026

We have officially opened for business at our new office location, 350 U.S. Highway 61 in New Madrid. Office phones are still down for the time being, and the public can still call (573)748-5226 for non-emergency calls.

05/09/2026

The phone lines at the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office are currently down as we continue the move to our new office.

If you need a deputy for a non-emergency matter call dispatch at (573)748-5226.

As always, dial 911 in case of emergency.

05/07/2026

Join us next Wednesday at the courthouse to honor our police officers and deputies, especially those who paid the ultimate price.

05/06/2026

The front office of the New Madrid County Sheriff's Office will be closed for the rest of the week in preparation for the move to our new office location on US Highway 61 in New Madrid. There will be no s*x offender registration or CCW licensing until May 11, 2026.

As always, please call 911 in case of emergency.

05/01/2026

**The New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office is asking for anyone who may have had a male family member go missing in the late 1970s or early 1980s contact the sheriff’s office with that information.**

On September 29th, 1981 the body of an unidentified white male was found floating in the Mississippi River approximately five miles south of New Madrid. The man was described in the local newspaper as “between the ages of 25 and 30, 5’9” tall, and weighing 155-160 pounds. He had reddish brown shoulder-length hair and was wearing red plaid underwear. There were no visible scars or tattoos on the body”. Authorities at the time believed the man’s body had been in the water for approximately one week.

Shortly after taking office in early 2025, I was contacted by New Madrid County Coroner George Delisle in reference to this case. He had been in communication with Dr. Jennifer Bengston from Southeast Missouri State University’s Forensic Anthropology program, and we were able to develop a plan for exhumation and possible identification utilizing DNA technology. We previously worked with Dr. Bengston to identify Robert Eaton, a missing person from Indiana, and she has been consulted on several other cases.

On July 9th, 2025, utilizing records kept by Delisle Funeral Home, we worked with the New Madrid County Coroner’s Office, Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office, Portageville Police Department, and SEMO Anthropology students to exhume the remains of the 1981 John Doe from an unmarked grave at the Portageville Cemetery. The remains were then carefully examined by Dr. Bengston and her students to determine the best source of DNA material. After samples were taken, the remains were respectfully reinterred at the Portageville Cemetery.

While the DNA was sent to Othram Labs for advanced DNA testing and analysis, investigators began to rebuild the case using time-tested investigative methods. While police records from 1981 could not be found, we were able to find a newspaper article on the recovery. Using the man’s death certificate and information from the news article, a computer-generated composite was created and will be put out with this information release.

Last week, Dr. Bengston relayed information from Othram Labs to the Sheriff’s Office about possible leads generated by the DNA analysis. Over the next few weeks investigators will be traveling out of state to take DNA samples from people who may be genetically related to the 1981 John Doe.

While the man’s remains were recovered in 1981, he could have possibly been a transient that was missed by family members years earlier. We are very hopeful about current developments in the case, and this information is being released in an effort to identify the 1981 John Doe.

Based on the level of decomposition, missing persons from that timeframe in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky are of particular interest. If you have information, please contact the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office at (573)748-2516 or email Investigator Jack Hays at [email protected] .

-Joey Higgerson
New Madrid County Sheriff

04/20/2026

This morning hunters took to the woods all across New Madrid County for opening day of the spring turkey season. Surprisingly, there are more accidental/negligent shootings during spring turkey season than any other time of year.

Hunters should respect the rights of private property owners, know their target, and always practice gun safety in order to ensure everyone enjoys their time in the woods and goes home safely at the end of the day. Missouri Dept. of Conservation

03/24/2026

This morning we've been made aware of a scam where someone is calling residents claiming to be "Sgt. Brown" with the New Madrid County Sheriff's Office. There is no one by that name employed with the Sheriff's Office and it is part of an ongoing scam.

In addition, no law enforcement agency will call or text asking for fine payments or bond payments. If you have questions or doubts about communication you've received from a purported law enforcement agency, feel free to verify that information by contacting the New Madrid County Sheriff's office at (573)748-2516.