Now-aspiring minister sentenced to 10 years for crimes with minor
Turkey hunting in the fall doesn't to appear to be as popular as it used to be in Missouri.
Conservationists and outdoorsmen point to multiple reasons for the decline, ongoing since the 1980s, including the pursuit of other fall pastimes.
Neighboring Kansas recently went as far canceling its fall season entirely, citing a combination of a 15-year low in turkey population and a lack of hunter interest. It also limited its spring season tag limit to one, half as many as Missouri.
Twice convicted of sex crimes involving underage girls, Tyler E. Campbell's most recent offense will put him behind bars for a decade.
Greene County Circuit Judge Kaiti Greenwade may have handed the Springfield man a stiffer sentence if he didn't agree to an Alford plea on Monday, two days before a scheduled bench trial that appeared to be already heading in the prosecution's favor.
Campbell, 29, pleaded guilty to the 2020 charges of aggravated first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree child molestation of a 16-year-old girl, crimes police say occurred while he was on probation following a sodomy charge involving another 16year-old girl in 2015.
He violated the terms of his probation by reportedly supplying another minor alcohol and inappropriately touched her after she refused to engage in any sexual behavior with him. He admitted to police to giving the girl alcohol but denied touching her in a sexual way.
More than three years later, Greenwade sentenced Campbell to a pair of 10-year sentences on Monday that will run concurrently. He was also credited for time served.
For taking the Alford plea deal — a guilty plea in which a defendant
Spring turkey seasons in the region are still quite popular, including in Missouri which recorded roughly 42,000 harvested birds this past spring, according to MDC data. There were were nearly 2,000 birds taken during the 2022 fall firearms season.
Turkey population declines in the Great Plains states have been attributed to several factors by wildlife experts, including weather variables, disease, predators, habitat change, parasites and hunters.
Conversely, many hunters in Missouri have publicly said they don't believe there is a decline and have felt alienated maintains their innocence but admits that the evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict at trial — prosecutors took charges of first-degree sodomy/attempted sodomy, an additional count of sexual abuse, and providing alcohol off the table.
Two years ago, Campbell was sentenced to 7 years by now-retired Judge David Jones for the probation violation. He was also credited for time served.
Campbell was released for two days on house arrest in 2021 before being ordered back to jail, when Campbell's public defender was David Smith.
Smith died in 2022 and was replaced by Sarah Johnson.
The prosecution said Monday that it had been in contact with the 2020 victim's family and informed them of an ensuing Alford plea and that he would likely get 10 years.
There were no victims or family members at court Monday to give impact statements before Greenwade handed Campbell his sentence, but the twice-convicted sex offender spoke to the court before he was transported to the Department of Corrections in Licking.
Campbell, who said he wants to be a Christian minister when he is out of prison, said his bad decisions were by different rules over the years.
The MDC is requesting input from hunters as it decides how to handle future fall turkey seasons. It may consider changes that include all-day hunting during the spring season and reduced tag limits for the fall.
MDC biologist Nick Oakley said that any changes would be aimed at balancing the turkey population while maximizing opportunities for hunters. With the current season structure, Oakley said, there have been lower harvest rates.
Some of the fall season regulation options on the table — about which MDC is seeking hunter comments — fueled by alcohol.
"I've seen a lot of things (in Licking) that have allowed me to reflect where I was wrong," Campbell said. "I
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"Research has cast a brighter light on the effect that harvesting hens could have on the population if it isn't well managed," Oakley told the News-Leader. "In Missouri, our hen harvest rate appears to be sustainable, so I do not anticipate a big uptick in the population. Nevertheless, there certainly is interest from many stakeholders to consider scaling back on the fall season."
Fall turkey season for archers began Sept. 15 and firearms season begins on Sunday. Two turkeys of either sex are allowed for a each hunter during the fall. During the spring the limit is two male turkeys or turkeys with a visible beard. was severely addicted to alcohol, and that was the only place I found true worth. I let that be the deciding factor."