Douglas County father, subject of an Amber Alert, sentenced to prison

AVA, Mo. (KY3) - A judge sentenced a Douglas County father who was the subject of a statewide Amber Alert in April 2021.

Chad Emmerson, 53, of Ava, Mo., will spend the next six years in prison after entering an Alford plea to a domestic assault charge.

Investigators say Chad Emmerson took his son, Craig, after an argument with his wife. Investigators say he assaulted his wife at their home off of Rural Route 2. They say he then fired a shot inside a closed garage. Emmerson’s wife told authorities she feared for her life.

The Missouri Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert a day after the argument. The mother told authorities she believed Emmerson would not bring her son home. Investigators say Emmerson safely returned the child through a third-party about two hours after the Amber Alert was issued.

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