Timothy Norton appears in Dallas County court in Cassidy Rainwater case; What’s next?

BUFFALO, Mo. (KY3) - Timothy Norton appeared in court Tuesday afternoon with his striped jail uniform on and shackles on his hands and ankles.

Norton faces murder, kidnapping, and abandonment of a corpse in the death of Cassidy Rainwater in the summer of 2021.

His court appearance followed four days after the other man charged in this case, James Phelps, entered an Alford plea on Friday. That’s when someone doesn’t want to plead guilty but admits there’s enough evidence to convict them. A judge sentenced him to life in prison.

There was no similar plea from Norton. The judge scheduled another hearing for June 27.

Prosecutors say the plan is to leave the trial in Dallas County.

KY3 News first broke the news of the case in mid-September. FBI investigators contacted detectives in Dallas County, saying they received photos from an anonymous person showing Rainwater in a cage. Investigators say a detective recognized Rainwater in a partially nude state. After searching Phelps’ phone, officials discovered seven photos of Rainwater.

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