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| Terrie Zornes is accused of raping female inmate in 1994 (mug shot McCSO) |
A former jailer in McDonald County who allegedly made sexual advances on an underage girl last year is now facing rape charges related to a female inmate almost two decades ago.
Terrie Zornes, 47, of Pineville was charged last week with forcibly raping, Sheena Eastburn, a 17-year-old inmate who was being held on a murder charge in March of 1994.
Zornes is scheduled to be arraigned in Associate Circuit Court in McDonald County tomorrow (08-29-11) on the forcible rape of the inmate.
According to court documents, Zornes worked as a jailer between Jan. 1 and March 1, 1994, and had “complete authority over the inmate and her environment and welfare at the detention center. (The inmate) was ordered into the property room for sexual purposes, and due to her confined status lacked the ability, authority and mental capacity to resist for fearing for her safety and well-being.”
The statement alleges that Zornes attempted to alter surveillance video that showed him arriving and leaving the women’s pod of the jail, but that he failed to alter a clock visible in the video.
“This altered video did show a lapse in time on the clock on the wall in the video,” according to the probable cause statement.
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A source close to the investigation says, "Former Sheriff Don Schlessman personally went to former prosecutor, Joseph Schoeberl, and informed him of the allegations and asked him if he would charge Zornes with misconduct of a jailer. He refused because he wanted a conviction or a plea in the murder case."
In an interview with The Ozarks Sentinel, Schoeberl, who is now an Associate Circuit Court Judge in Jasper County said, "To the best of my recollection I do not recall anything being brought to my attention where she [Eastburn] was the victim of a rape in the county jail while I was prosecutor. Why wasn't this ever brought up to her capital defesne team? She had some of the best attornies in the state."
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Authorities recently learned of the alleged rape of Eastburn, who a jury found guilty of the first-degree murder of her husband, while investigating another case. Eastburn, who is now 35, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, she has filed a motion asking the court for mercy and to commute her sentence to life WITH the possibility of parole.
The statement alleges that Zornes attempted to alter surveillance video that showed him arriving and leaving the women’s pod of the jail, but that he failed to alter a clock visible in the video.
“This altered video did show a lapse in time on the clock on the wall in the video,” according to the probable cause statement.
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A source close to the investigation says, "Former Sheriff Don Schlessman personally went to former prosecutor, Joseph Schoeberl, and informed him of the allegations and asked him if he would charge Zornes with misconduct of a jailer. He refused because he wanted a conviction or a plea in the murder case."
In an interview with The Ozarks Sentinel, Schoeberl, who is now an Associate Circuit Court Judge in Jasper County said, "To the best of my recollection I do not recall anything being brought to my attention where she [Eastburn] was the victim of a rape in the county jail while I was prosecutor. Why wasn't this ever brought up to her capital defesne team? She had some of the best attornies in the state."
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| Sheena Renea Eastburn is now asking the court for mercy |
Authorities recently learned of the alleged rape of Eastburn, who a jury found guilty of the first-degree murder of her husband, while investigating another case. Eastburn, who is now 35, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, she has filed a motion asking the court for mercy and to commute her sentence to life WITH the possibility of parole.
On Tuesday, his trial on charges of enticement, statutory sodomy, sexual abuse and sexual misconduct with someone under 15 is scheduled to begin.
Prosecutors allege in that case that Zornes sent a fourteen year-old girl porn and made sexual advances on the teen between September and December of 2010. The girl told authorities that Zorn tried to molest her while they were in a creek and he later exposed himself to her and made the girl touch him.
In one text message, he reportedly said, “I’m sorry, babe, but if we can’t be together then I’m going to have to get tough with your mom.”
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