Mother charged with endangering child after AMBER Alert

Charges have now been filed against the mother of the child who was the subject of an AMBER Alert in Sarcoxie over the weekend.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office says it stems from a call On Saturday, April 15th 2023 at approximately 8:00 PM., on CR 20 in Sarcoxie, in reference to a missing 7-year-old child.

It was determined that an AMBER Alert would be issued due to the child being endangered by being taken by an individual who the mother only knew as “Matt”.

Authorities say they were supposed to have been gone for a short time, but after being missing for more than three hours authorities were contacted.

Shortly after the AMBER Alert was sent out, the vehicle was observed by a citizen in Oklahoma heading into Missouri on I-44. The Joplin Police Department stopped the vehicle in Missouri around mile marker 4.

The male driver was arrested and identified as 23-year-old Matthew W. Honeycutt, of Neosho. Honeycutt was transported to the Jasper County Detention Center in Carthage, charges were submitted on Honeycutt for Kidnapping and a bond of $250,000 was issued. He remains in custody at this time.

During the investigation, more information was obtained and on Tuesday, the mother of the child, 38-year-old Amber S. Turner, of Sarcoxie, was taken into custody and transported to the Jasper County Detention Center. Charges have been submitted to the prosecutor’s office for felony endangering the welfare of a child.

This is an ongoing investigation and more charges may arise as the investigation continues.