Suspect charged in multiple burglaries

On November 30th alone, the Bates County Sheriff's Department received 7 reports of burglaries from around the area- including a call that a white male had knocked on the door, but the homeowner didn't answer because they didn't know who it was. Shortly after, the subject forced entry into the rear of the home but fled when he realized someone was there. The subject was reported to be driving a white Chevy Blazer with loud exhaust.

Boatman

At another location, on D Highway, a report came in that a white male had come to the door and asked the homeowner if he could hunt on their property. The homeowner noted that he was driving a loud white Chevy Blazer and he had a circular type tattoo on the left side of his neck.

The Sheriff's office has been working an unusually high number of burglaries since the first of November- many with similarities such as the same method of entry was used; most were happening between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and many of the residences were on the highway instead of a gravel road. As officers canvassed the area during this investigation, they began to receive information that a white Blazer with loud exhaust had been spotted in the area at the time of the burglaries.

A break came when the license number of the Blazer surfaced through information from a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer, which led authorities to suspect Jeffrey C. Boatman of Garden City Mo. Photos of Boatman were submitted to several witnesses who named him as the driver of the Blazer.

Later in the day on the 30th, the Sheriff's Office put out information to surrounding agencies regarding the suspect, and a multiagency search began. The white Blazer was first spotted heading Southbound on 71 Highway near Archie; later Adrian police officers notified the Sheriff's Office the Blazer was on 71 Highway still heading South and followed it until other units could converge to aid in the stop. The suspect vehicle was stopped just North of 71 and 52 Highways where Boatman and a female passenger were taken into custody. A search of the vehicle revealed multiple items taken in at least three of the burglaries. 

The Sheriff's Office is confident that Boatman was involved in the majority of the November 30th burglaries and has been charged in two of them so far. 

Boatman's history includes a conviction in a string of 44 burglaries that stretched mid-Missouri into Kansas and was released from prison on Oct. 14 of this year; he was currently on parole.

Boatman has been charged with Burglary 2nd Degree and Stealing. Bond is set at $100,000 cash only.