OSAGE COUNTY  — Andrew S. Zachery, 32, of St James, eluded authorities in Osage County for a day but was captured on Wednesday, July 10. He is being held without bond and has been charged with second-degree kidnapping, third-degree domestic assault, leaving the scene of an accident with physical injury, and first-degree property damage.

“He was located in a heavily wooded area off County Road 503 because he started a campfire, and the smoke was spotted by locals in the area,” said Sheriff Mike Bonham, noting Zachery began the assault in Cole County. “We are grateful for the assistance of the Westphalia Fire Department, Linn Police Department, Cole County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Conservation, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and, of course, our most valued partners, the citizens of Osage County.”

According to the Osage County probable cause statement, the incident began at approximately 4:20 p.m. last Tuesday, July 9, when Zachery restrained a female victim in the backseat of a 2013 Toyota Tundra without her consent in Cole County. Zachery and the victim lived together, and authorities called this a rolling domestic violence incident.

The victim later told Cole County deputies that Zachery had been acting erratic since the evening prior. According to the PC statement, she was planning to help Zachery transport his motorcycle to a residence in St. James. However, due to his behavior, she told him she was not going.

Zachery allegedly grabbed her by the hair and physically forced her into the vehicle. The victim told authorities that Zachery threw her phone and puppy out the window before leaving the area.

The female victim said she made numerous attempts and pleas to be released from the vehicle, including an attempt to jump from the moving vehicle while it traveled along the highway. She told deputies that after initially pinning her hands together, he grabbed her by the hair and repeatedly slammed their face into the dash and center console. The victim added that she continued to resist — from their Cole County residence into Osage County.

Zachery allegedly told the victim that he would kill himself and her, according to the Osage County probable cause statement. He also reportedly punched the victim in the head while he was driving, and there were injuries to her face. The victim told Osage County deputies she believes she passed out a couple of times from her head being slammed into the center console, and she woke up a couple of times to Zachery shaking her. 

While speaking to Cole County deputies, the victim noted that her resistance while Zachery was driving on Osage County CR 501 eventually caused him to crash the truck into a mailbox, tree, and fence. The victim was thrown into the front seat area of the vehicle, causing cuts and scratches to her arms and legs.

In the Cole County PC statement, the victim noted that Zachery crawled over her to exit the vehicle. He allegedly pulled her out of the truck by the hair. She said he took a standing position over her, but when a local resident approached, Zachery fled the area on foot.

The witness called 911, and Zachery fled the scene before any responders arrived. He ran into the woods and evaded capture for a day before starting the campfire, which proved to be his undoing.

Deputies took Zachery into custody on July 10 and transported him to the Osage County Detention Center.

The female victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment. While there, deputies observed the victim had numerous physical injuries consistent with her statement, including bleeding, bruising, and heavy swelling of the face, bruising to the arms and wrists, and scrapes and abrasions to the arms. As noted in her statement, the victim’s puppy and phone were located outside the residence, with other small items strewn about the driveway.

The Cole County prosecutor charged Zachery with first-degree kidnapping and second-degree domestic assault on a no-bond warrant.