West Siloam Springs Woman Behind Bars as Police Search for Buried Fetus
By: KNWA News
Updated: March 6, 2013
A woman is behind bars as investigators search for human remains in West Siloam Springs.
The police department was given a tip that led them to the 700 block of Serenity Drive.
Monday evening, the West Siloam Springs Police Department requested the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation's assistance with a possible fetus being buried.
"It's just heartbreaking," says Charlie Rippey, a neighbor who lives two doors down.
Police cars roll down a street called Serenity, making neighbors feel anything but.
"We thought it was strange, cause it was really close then found out it was right down the road so were in shock. It's not something you want to hear anywhere and especially not close to your house," says Rippey.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation now digging for the body of a fetus in the backyard of a West Siloam Springs home, where they say 32-year-old Stacy Belt lived with her three children.
"We saw the other kids. I'd see them every morning going to work, walking to the bus stop and stuff. Probably about the second grade down to kindergarten and you know they always seemed kind of sad looking to me," says Rippey.
Belt was arrested Monday. OSBI says Belt is now facing three counts of child neglect.
According to the Delaware County Jail records, she's also facing an additional charge of desecration of a human corpse.
Investigators tell us the kids are now in protective custody as their mom sits in the Delaware County Jail without bond.
"It was kind of in the back of my mind, man those poor kids but I had no idea. It's one of those things now looking back, I wish we could have done something. I don't know how you could have prevented something like this."
Detectives ended the search around 5:30 Tuesday night without finding any human remains, and cadaver dogs also came up empty on Wednesday afternoon.
"We're just going to start working what leads we have left, interviewing people, the people we've been interviewing last night and all day today," says West Siloam Springs Police Chief Larry Barnett.
The police department was given a tip that led them to the 700 block of Serenity Drive.
Monday evening, the West Siloam Springs Police Department requested the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation's assistance with a possible fetus being buried.
"It's just heartbreaking," says Charlie Rippey, a neighbor who lives two doors down.
Police cars roll down a street called Serenity, making neighbors feel anything but.
"We thought it was strange, cause it was really close then found out it was right down the road so were in shock. It's not something you want to hear anywhere and especially not close to your house," says Rippey.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation now digging for the body of a fetus in the backyard of a West Siloam Springs home, where they say 32-year-old Stacy Belt lived with her three children.
"We saw the other kids. I'd see them every morning going to work, walking to the bus stop and stuff. Probably about the second grade down to kindergarten and you know they always seemed kind of sad looking to me," says Rippey.
Belt was arrested Monday. OSBI says Belt is now facing three counts of child neglect.
According to the Delaware County Jail records, she's also facing an additional charge of desecration of a human corpse.
Investigators tell us the kids are now in protective custody as their mom sits in the Delaware County Jail without bond.
"It was kind of in the back of my mind, man those poor kids but I had no idea. It's one of those things now looking back, I wish we could have done something. I don't know how you could have prevented something like this."
Detectives ended the search around 5:30 Tuesday night without finding any human remains, and cadaver dogs also came up empty on Wednesday afternoon.
"We're just going to start working what leads we have left, interviewing people, the people we've been interviewing last night and all day today," says West Siloam Springs Police Chief Larry Barnett.
