The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published January 16, 2019

Missing child found safe in Laclede, two arrested

CAMDEN COUNTY – A missing child has been located after a five-month search and two suspects arrested in Laclede County last week.

On Tuesday January 8, the Laclede County Detective Division, acting on information received by the United States Marshals Service Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force, was able to obtain a search warrant for a residence on Highway N in Laclede County, MO, that was executed at approximately 4:35 p.m.

The task force has been working with the Camden County Sheriff’s Department (CCSD) and other agencies for several months in hopes of getting a lead that would assist them in finding six-year-old Braedence Jones.

The Laclede County Detective Division has been in frequent contact with the CCSD due to the sightings reported in the City of Stoutland and Laclede County.

The mother, Aubrey Ferguson of Camdenton and her boyfriend, Woodrow Ziegler, 42, were arrested that day after the search warrant was executed by the Laclede County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshals Service Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force.

Ferguson and Ziegler were hiding the child in an attic crawl space that had been nailed shut and concealed, police said.

The CCSD said that Ferguson was with the child in the crawl space when discovered. Ferguson is being held on a warrant for child abduction out of Camden County as well as a Capias Warrant out of Crawford County.

Last week Judge Aaron Koeppen granted a motion to reconsider the bond for Ferguson and granted the request.

The court found that the Ferguson is a flight risk and sets the bond at $200,000 cash or surety. All other bond conditions are to remain in place including no contact with the child in question.

Ziegler was charged by the Laclede County Sheriff’s Department with Hindering Prosecution Of Felony (a felony charge). Bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety.

Additional charges are being sought out of Laclede and possibly Camden Counties.

“Thanks to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Missing Persons Division, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, MIAC, the Media, all other private organizations and the public for their assistance,” a CCSD spokesman said. “A special thanks to the Laclede County Detective Division and the United States Marshals Service Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force.”