Benton County Missouri Museum and Historical Society

05/31/2026

One of our first visitors this season was Kelly Rudolph from
Kansas City. He matched some of our display decor!

05/31/2026

Edgar Crenshaw, Cole Camp resident

05/30/2026

Jubilee Days is coming next week! This photo from Benton County Enterprise shows the 1971 Jubilee Days Queen candidates.

05/29/2026

Long-time Warsaw teacher Marilyn Drake passed away not long ago. She was so proud of this Bicentennial quilt made by her 5th grade class in 1976. The quilt is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, as part of our special exhibit. We're honored to have it as part of the Museum's collection. ❤️

05/29/2026

We will be open this weekend! Friday & Saturday 10-4 & Sunday 1-4.
As part of our special exhibit highlighting the US military, we have many military uniforms of various branches from different decades, including the ones pictured here

05/29/2026

1976 Jubilee Days' committee identified as (L to R): Osborn McMillan, Imogene McMillan, unknown person behind Imogene,
Fred Fergerson, Durward Wishard,
unknown, Rodney Meyer, Larry Walthall, Marty Fajen Weaver, Avis Burton, unknown, unknown (possibly 'Mr. Case' a former Warsaw speech & drama teacher?) , & Lydia White.
Front-- Irv Henry & Jab White.

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

1996 MISSOURI MANHUNT THAT GRIPPED THE OZARKS

What began as a violent confrontation on a Pulaski County roadway in October 1996 would quickly spiral into one of Missouri’s most intense manhunts.

According to court records, Alis Ben “Joe” Johns was riding with Deborah Tedder when Tedder’s boyfriend, Thomas Stewart, confronted them after the couple had reportedly been arguing earlier in the day.

Investigators said all three were intoxicated when the confrontation turned deadly. Authorities say Johns pulled out a .22 caliber pistol and shot Stewart seven times, leaving him dead on the roadway.

After Stewart’s body was discovered, investigators began searching for Johns but he had already disappeared.

For the next six months, Johns remained on the run across Missouri while investigators connected him to additional violent crimes.

On February 28, 1997, authorities discovered 62-year-old Leonard Voyles dead inside his Camden County home from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Voyles’ truck and rifle were missing, and investigators later said a shoe print at the scene matched Johns’ boot.

During the manhunt, Johns reportedly reunited with his girlfriend, Beverly Guehrer, and the pair burglarized multiple homes throughout southern Missouri.

Then, on March 9, 1997, investigators in Newton County discovered the body of Wilma Bragg inside her home. Authorities said Bragg had been tied up and shot twice in the back of the head while lying face down on her bed. DNA evidence from a cigarette butt and ballistic testing later linked Johns to the killing, according to investigators.

The massive manhunt drew national attention. Hundreds of officers, along with the Missouri National Guard, searched wooded areas across the Ozarks while television programs including *America’s Most Wanted* and *48 Hours* covered the case.

The search finally ended on April 7, 1997, near Cole Camp Creek in Benton County.

Missouri Water Patrol officers encountered Johns inside a cabin. Investigators said Johns emerged holding a rifle to Beverly Guehrer’s head and threatened to kill her. During the confrontation, Water Patrol officer Eric Gottman shot Johns in the abdomen as Johns allegedly attempted to flee.

Johns survived and was taken to a hospital in Sedalia before being returned to Pulaski County to face charges.

He was later convicted and initially sentenced to death. However, the death sentence was later overturned after Johns was determined to be intellectually disabled, making him ineligible for ex*****on under constitutional standards.

Beverly Guehrer was sentenced to 15 years in prison for second-degree murder related to the Wilma Bragg case and was released in 2014.

The case remains one of the most notorious multi-county manhunts in Missouri history.