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October 8, 2009

Jury acquits area man of threats to Elohim City group

By BOB GIBBINS

STILWELL – An Adair County jury has acquitted an area man on charges of transmitting threatening letters.

The panel found Joseph Josiah Stone, 48, not guilty on all four counts filed against him following a two-day jury trial last week. Stone represented himself in the case presided over by Special District Judge Dennis Sprouse.

Matt Orendorff, a Sallisaw attorney, sat at counsel table with Stone.

Stone, also known as Joseph Stone and Charles Scott Reeding Jr., was also charged with two counts of threatening violent acts and a single count of threats or harassment by phone.

Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Wright, of Delaware County, served as special prosecutor in the case.

The acts allegedly occurred in June 2008. He was formally charged Sept. 19, 2008.

Prosecutors had alleged Stone threatened to poison Dorcas Millar’s water source.

They also alleged he said, of a pair of Elohim City residents, that “John and Zera needed to go, even if that means they have to die,” and that he was willing to do whatever it takes, “even if that means destroying life at Elohim City.”

Another count alleged he phoned the Adair County DA’s office and said he would get involved, if the DA didn’t, and “it would be really bad, really violent, and there would be blood at Elohim City.”

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